The Oscars Are Exiting ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, marking the most recent substantial shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement giving YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for 15 March, has aired for 50 years on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be accessible live and for free on the digital platform.
It's another substantial shakeup in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, along with drastic production cuts.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will enable us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be positive for our membership and the movie industry," remarked Academy leadership in a release.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the awards show have declined, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences tuning in from mobile devices and desktops.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "a key vital cultural touchstones" and noted that working with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of artistic expression and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
This shift coincides with major studios confront complex corporate battles. These potential deals were considered problematic for an business that has seen drastic cuts over the past several years.
Similar to big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the public has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of online services will persist to grow.
