The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the most recent major transformation in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that it finalized a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has been televised for 50 years on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on the digital platform.
This is a further major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this partnership will enable us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be positive for our film artists and the film community," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
For many years, audience numbers of the ceremony have declined, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers watching from smartphones and desktops.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "a key essential pillars of culture" and said that partnering with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied heritage".
ABC, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
This shift follows large entertainment companies confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were viewed as problematic for an sector that has experienced significant downsizing over the recent period.
Like big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the viewers has chosen on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on digital platforms will continue expanding.
