The Academy Awards to Depart Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start airing only on the global video platform in 2029, signaling the most recent major change in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a extended contract granting the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been broadcast for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be available in real-time without charge on YouTube.
It's a further substantial upheaval in Hollywood, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, along with drastic reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will permit us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the cinematic world," remarked the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Over decades, ratings of the televised event have fallen, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from smartphones and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "a key essential cultural institutions" and noted that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of creativity and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied heritage".
The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
The move follows large entertainment companies confront complex corporate battles. Both options were viewed as concerning for an industry that has witnessed drastic cuts over the recent period.
Like major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the audience has chosen streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars clearly signals that dependence on digital platforms will carry on to grow.
