The Oscars to Depart ABC and Stream on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, signaling the latest major shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement giving the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for 15 March, has been broadcast for 50 years on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be available in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is another significant restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will allow us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be beneficial for our membership and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a statement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the awards show have fallen, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from cell phones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural touchstones" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, commented that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This shift coincides with major studios face challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were viewed as problematic for an business that has seen drastic cuts over the recent period.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Oscars further suggests that dependence on streaming sites will persist to grow.
