The Oscars Will Leave Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, marking the latest significant shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, indicating that it entered into a extended contract awarding YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been broadcast for a half a century on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be available in real-time without charge on YouTube.
This is one more substantial upheaval in Hollywood, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, in addition to severe slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be positive for our membership and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a release.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the ceremony have fallen, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences streaming from cell phones and computers.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "a key fundamental pillars of culture" and said that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since 1976, said that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
The move follows film industry giants face complex corporate battles. These potential deals were seen as unfavourable for an business that has seen significant downsizing over the last few years.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the viewers has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on streaming sites will persist expanding.
