The Academy Awards Will Leave ABC and Broadcast Live on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, representing the most recent significant transformation in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, indicating that it entered into a extended contract granting YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is one more major upheaval in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, along with severe production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this collaboration will enable us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the cinematic world," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
Over decades, audience numbers of the televised event have declined, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from mobile devices and computers.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "a key vital pillars of culture" and added that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
This decision coincides with film industry giants deal with challenging merger discussions. Both options were seen as unfavourable for an industry that has seen drastic cuts over the past several years.
Like major studios, cable networks have struggled as the audience has shifted towards streaming services as an alternative.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of streaming sites will persist to grow.
