The Academy Awards Will Leave ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, marking the newest substantial change in the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, stating that it signed a long-term agreement awarding the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for March 15th, has aired for five decades on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
It's a further major restructuring in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, along with severe slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be beneficial for our membership and the movie industry," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
Over decades, viewership of the ceremony have dropped, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences watching from mobile devices and desktops.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key vital pillars of culture" and said that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since the mid-1970s, commented that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will continue to air.
This shift comes as major studios confront challenging merger discussions. Both options were considered problematic for an sector that has experienced significant downsizing over the recent period.
Like big production houses, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the public has chosen on-demand video as an alternative.
The platform securing rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of online services will persist increasing.
