The Oscars Are Exiting ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, signaling the latest significant shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, indicating that it entered into a multi-year deal giving YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, set for March 15th, has aired for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is one more significant restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, along with steep production cuts.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will enable us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be positive for our film artists and the film community," said the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the televised event have dropped, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences watching from smartphones and laptops.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "among our essential cultural touchstones" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of creativity and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, said 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. Both options were viewed as concerning for an sector that has seen significant downsizing over the last few years.
Like major studios, traditional TV channels have struggled as the viewers has chosen digital platforms instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars further suggests that the dominance of digital platforms will carry on to grow.
