The Oscars to Depart ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence airing only on YouTube in 2029, representing the latest significant change in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it signed a multi-year deal giving the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for 15 March, has been broadcast for a half a century on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible as a free live stream on the digital platform.
This is another substantial restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with severe reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to increase availability to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be beneficial for our membership and the movie industry," remarked organization heads in a release.
Over decades, viewership of the ceremony have dropped, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from smartphones and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key essential cultural institutions" and noted that working with the Academy would "inspire a fresh wave of creativity and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
The move follows large entertainment companies deal with complex corporate battles. Both options were viewed as concerning for an sector that has seen severe reductions over the past several years.
Like major studios, cable networks have struggled as the public has chosen on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on streaming sites will continue to grow.
