The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, representing the newest significant transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that it entered into a extended contract granting the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be available live and for free on YouTube.
This is a further substantial shakeup in the entertainment world, which is navigating corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with severe production cuts.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will enable us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
Over decades, ratings of the ceremony have fallen, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers watching from mobile devices and desktops.
In a related comment, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "among our essential cultural institutions" and said that partnering with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied legacy".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, stated that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
This decision comes as large entertainment companies confront challenging merger discussions. Both options were seen as unfavourable for an sector that has experienced severe reductions over the last few years.
Like major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the viewers has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on digital platforms will persist to grow.
