The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence airing only on YouTube in 2029, marking the most recent substantial change in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on this week, indicating that it finalized a multi-year deal awarding the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has been televised for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is one more major shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to severe production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will permit us to increase availability to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the movie industry," remarked organization heads in a statement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the awards show have fallen, though there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences streaming from mobile devices and laptops.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "among our vital cultural institutions" and added that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of innovation and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will retain rights for.
This decision coincides with major studios confront complex corporate battles. Both options were considered concerning for an sector that has witnessed drastic cuts over the past several years.
Similar to big production houses, cable networks have struggled as the audience has chosen streaming services instead.
The platform securing rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that dependence on online services will continue expanding.
