The Oscars Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the most recent substantial change in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on this week, indicating that it signed a extended contract awarding the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for 50 years on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable live and for free on YouTube.
This is one more major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, in addition to steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will permit us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a announcement.
For many years, audience numbers of the ceremony have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers watching from smartphones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "a key vital pillars of culture" and said that working with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
ABC, which has streamed the awards since 1976, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
This decision comes as film industry giants confront intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were viewed as problematic for an industry that has seen significant downsizing over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the public has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars strongly indicates that the dominance of streaming sites will continue expanding.