The Academy Awards to Depart ABC and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the most recent significant shift in the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, stating that it entered into a extended contract giving the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
It's a further substantial restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, in addition to steep production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this alliance will allow us to expand access to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be advantageous for our membership and the movie industry," said Academy leadership in a release.
For many years, viewership of the televised event have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences tuning in from mobile devices and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key vital cultural touchstones" and said that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of artistic expression and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated history".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since 1976, commented that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This decision comes as film industry giants confront complex corporate battles. Both options were considered concerning for an sector that has witnessed severe reductions over the past several years.
Similar to big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the viewers has chosen streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will continue to grow.
