The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence airing only on YouTube in 2029, representing the newest major change in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, confirming that it signed a multi-year deal awarding the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for 15 March, has been televised for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the show will be accessible as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is another significant shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, in addition to severe production cuts.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this partnership will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be positive for our Academy members and the cinematic world," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
For many years, viewership of the ceremony have declined, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from smartphones and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and added that working with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated legacy".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
The move coincides with major studios confront intricate takeover attempts. Both options were viewed as problematic for an industry that has seen significant downsizing over the last few years.
Like major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that reliance on streaming sites will continue expanding.
