The Academy Awards to Depart ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, representing the newest significant shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, confirming that it signed a multi-year deal giving YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for five decades on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the event will be viewable live and for free on the digital platform.
It's a further significant restructuring in the entertainment world, which is navigating corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to steep production cuts.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this collaboration will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be positive for our membership and the movie industry," said the Academy's executives in a statement.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the televised event have declined, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers streaming from mobile devices and computers.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "among our essential cultural touchstones" and said that working with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This decision follows large entertainment companies confront intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were viewed as problematic for an industry that has experienced drastic cuts over the last few years.
In common with major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards digital platforms as an alternative.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on online services will continue increasing.