The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, representing the most recent substantial change in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, indicating that it finalized a long-term agreement giving the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for 15 March, has been televised for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's another significant restructuring in the entertainment world, which is navigating company buyouts and fusions, along with steep production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this alliance will permit us to expand access to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the cinematic world," remarked the Academy's executives in a release.
For many years, viewership of the awards show have declined, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from cell phones and laptops.
In a related comment, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "among our essential pillars of culture" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This decision follows large entertainment companies face complex corporate battles. Both options were considered problematic for an sector that has witnessed drastic cuts over the past several years.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the viewers has chosen on-demand video instead.
YouTube winning broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that the dominance of streaming sites will persist expanding.
