The Oscars Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the newest substantial transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, indicating that it finalized a long-term agreement awarding the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for five decades on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is a further significant shakeup in the entertainment world, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, along with drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this collaboration will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the movie industry," stated organization heads in a statement.
Over decades, viewership of the awards show have dropped, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers watching from smartphones and desktops.
In a related comment, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our vital pillars of culture" and said that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, commented that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
This shift coincides with major studios deal with challenging merger discussions. Both options were viewed as unfavourable for an business that has experienced significant downsizing over the last few years.
Like major studios, traditional TV channels have struggled as the audience has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
The platform securing the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that reliance on streaming sites will carry on to grow.
