The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the newest major change in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, stating that it signed a multi-year deal awarding YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be viewable live and for free on YouTube.
This is one more major upheaval in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, in addition to steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be advantageous for our membership and the cinematic world," said Academy leadership in a statement.
For many years, ratings of the ceremony have declined, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences watching from cell phones and desktops.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "among our essential pillars of culture" and added that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of innovation and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' storied legacy".
ABC, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will retain rights for.
This shift coincides with major studios face intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were considered unfavourable for an sector that has seen severe reductions over the recent period.
Like big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Academy Awards further suggests that the dominance of streaming sites will carry on increasing.
