The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, marking the newest major transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, stating that it entered into a extended contract giving the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has been broadcast for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be viewable live and for free on YouTube.
This is one more significant restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will permit us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the movie industry," said organization heads in a release.
Throughout a long period, viewership of the televised event have dropped, though there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a considerable amount of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from cell phones and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "a key vital pillars of culture" and added that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of innovation and cinema enthusiasts while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
ABC, which has streamed the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
This decision coincides with film industry giants confront intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were considered concerning for an sector that has seen severe reductions over the last few years.
In common with major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the viewers has shifted towards streaming services as an alternative.
The platform securing rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of online services will carry on increasing.
