The Oscars Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence airing only on the global video platform in the year 2029, marking the latest substantial shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has aired for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be available in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is another major restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, coupled with drastic production cuts.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this partnership will allow us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a release.
Over decades, ratings of the televised event have declined, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences streaming from smartphones and computers.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "one of our vital cultural institutions" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a fresh wave of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied legacy".
ABC, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
The move follows film industry giants deal with intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were considered unfavourable for an sector that has experienced drastic cuts over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the public has chosen digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Oscars clearly signals that the dominance of digital platforms will continue expanding.
