The Academy Awards Will Leave ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start airing only on the global video platform in 2029, marking the most recent substantial shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it finalized a extended contract granting the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has been televised for 50 years on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be viewable live and for free on YouTube.
This is another major upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to severe slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this collaboration will permit us to expand access to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the film community," said Academy leadership in a announcement.
Over decades, viewership of the awards show have dropped, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences tuning in from smartphones and desktops.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural touchstones" and noted that working with the Academy would "spark a younger cohort of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since 1976, commented that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will continue to air.
The move follows large entertainment companies confront intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were considered problematic for an industry that has experienced significant downsizing over the recent period.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has chosen on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on digital platforms will carry on increasing.
