The Academy Awards Will Leave ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start airing only on the global video platform in 2029, marking the newest substantial shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on Wednesday, indicating that it entered into a multi-year deal giving YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for 15 March, has been broadcast for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the show will be accessible live and for free on YouTube.
This is a further significant restructuring in Hollywood, which is navigating corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this alliance will allow us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be advantageous for our membership and the film community," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
Over decades, audience numbers of the ceremony have dropped, although 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, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural institutions" and said that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated legacy".
ABC, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
The move comes as large entertainment companies deal with challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were viewed as concerning for an business that has seen significant downsizing over the last few years.
Like big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
The platform securing the license to the Academy Awards further suggests that the dominance of digital platforms will carry on to grow.
