The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards are set to start airing only on the global video platform in the year 2029, marking the latest substantial change in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, indicating that it entered into a extended contract granting YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for 15 March, has been televised for 50 years on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the show will be viewable in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is a further substantial restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to steep slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this partnership will permit us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be positive for our membership and the film community," stated organization heads in a statement.
Throughout a long period, viewership of the televised event have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers watching from mobile devices and laptops.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "one of our essential cultural institutions" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
ABC, which has televised the awards since 1976, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
This decision comes as large entertainment companies deal with intricate takeover attempts. Both options were seen as concerning for an sector that has seen drastic cuts over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has chosen on-demand video instead.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that dependence on streaming sites will carry on to grow.
