The Oscars Are Exiting ABC and Stream on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence broadcasting solely on the global video platform in the year 2029, marking the newest substantial shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, indicating that it entered into a extended contract giving YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
This is one more significant shakeup in Hollywood, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, in addition to severe reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this partnership will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a statement.
For many years, audience numbers of the televised event have fallen, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from cell phones and laptops.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our vital cultural institutions" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of innovation and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, commented that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
This shift comes as large entertainment companies confront intricate takeover attempts. Both options were viewed as concerning for an business that has experienced significant downsizing over the past several years.
In common with major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has shifted towards on-demand video as an alternative.
The platform securing rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that dependence on streaming sites will carry on expanding.
