The Oscars to Depart ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, signaling the latest substantial transformation in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, indicating that it finalized a long-term agreement giving the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is a further significant shakeup in the entertainment world, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, in addition to severe slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this alliance will permit us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the movie industry," remarked organization heads in a release.
Over decades, viewership of the ceremony have fallen, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences tuning in from smartphones and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "among our essential cultural touchstones" and said that working with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of innovation and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, said that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This decision follows film industry giants confront challenging merger discussions. Both options were considered concerning for an business that has seen significant downsizing over the recent period.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have struggled as the viewers has increasingly opted for streaming services as an alternative.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars clearly signals that dependence on online services will carry on increasing.
