The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin streaming exclusively on YouTube in the year 2029, representing the most recent major transformation in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, indicating that it entered into a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the show will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is another major restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, in addition to drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will enable us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be advantageous for our membership and the film community," stated the Academy's executives in a release.
Over decades, ratings of the awards show have fallen, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers watching from cell phones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "one of our fundamental cultural institutions" and noted that working with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious history".
ABC, which has televised the ceremony since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
This shift comes as major studios confront challenging merger discussions. Both options were viewed as problematic for an business that has experienced severe reductions over the past several years.
In common with major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for streaming services as an alternative.
The platform securing the license to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on online services will persist increasing.