The Oscars Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin airing only on the global video platform in the year 2029, signaling the latest substantial transformation in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on Wednesday, stating that it signed a long-term agreement giving YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the show will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
This is one more substantial shakeup in Hollywood, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to steep reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," stated Academy leadership in a release.
Over decades, audience numbers of the ceremony have fallen, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers tuning in from smartphones and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "one of our vital cultural institutions" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a younger cohort of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated history".
ABC, which has aired the awards since 1976, said that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
The move comes as large entertainment companies confront intricate takeover attempts. Both options were seen as problematic for an business that has experienced severe reductions over the last few years.
Like major studios, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube winning rights to the Oscars clearly signals that reliance on streaming sites will carry on expanding.