The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Stream on YouTube Beginning in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, representing the latest major shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, stating that it signed a long-term agreement giving YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be accessible live and for free on YouTube.
It's a further major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with steep production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this alliance will enable us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the cinematic world," remarked organization heads in a statement.
Over decades, ratings of the televised event have declined, though there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences watching from cell phones and laptops.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "one of our essential pillars of culture" and added that working with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious history".
ABC, which has streamed the awards since 1976, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
This decision follows large entertainment companies deal with complex corporate battles. Both options were considered unfavourable for an business that has witnessed drastic cuts over the recent period.
In common with major studios, cable networks have struggled as the public has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Oscars strongly indicates that the dominance of online services will carry on to grow.
