The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the latest major shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it finalized a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, set for 15 March, has been televised for five decades on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be available in real-time without charge on YouTube.
This is a further major shakeup in Hollywood, which is grappling with company buyouts and fusions, coupled with drastic reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this partnership will allow us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the movie industry," said the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the ceremony have declined, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences streaming from cell phones and desktops.
In a related comment, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "among our essential pillars of culture" and said that working with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of creativity and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated history".
ABC, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
The move coincides with major studios deal with challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were considered concerning for an business that has witnessed significant downsizing over the last few years.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on online services will carry on expanding.
