The Academy Awards to Depart ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the newest major transformation in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it finalized a multi-year deal giving YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for 15 March, has been broadcast for 50 years on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the show will be available as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's one more substantial restructuring in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, along with drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will permit us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be beneficial for our membership and the movie industry," stated Academy leadership in a release.
Throughout a long period, viewership of the televised event have fallen, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers streaming from mobile devices and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "a key essential cultural institutions" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of innovation and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, said that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This shift coincides with film industry giants deal with intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were viewed as unfavourable for an industry that has witnessed drastic cuts over the recent period.
Like big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards on-demand video instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Academy Awards clearly signals that dependence on digital platforms will persist expanding.
