The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, marking the newest substantial transformation in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, indicating that it signed a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the show will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is a further major upheaval in the entertainment world, which is navigating company buyouts and fusions, coupled with steep reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will allow us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the film community," remarked the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the awards show have declined, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from mobile devices and desktops.
In a related comment, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "one of our vital cultural touchstones" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of creativity and movie fans while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, stated that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
This shift comes as large entertainment companies confront complex corporate battles. Such proposals were viewed as problematic for an sector that has witnessed significant downsizing over the past several years.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the viewers has chosen digital platforms as an alternative.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on online services will persist expanding.
