The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence streaming exclusively on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the most recent substantial shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, indicating that it finalized a multi-year deal giving YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has been broadcast for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is one more major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will enable us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be advantageous for our membership and the movie industry," remarked Academy leadership in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the televised event have fallen, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from mobile devices and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive referred to the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural institutions" and added that partnering with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".
ABC, which has aired the awards since 1976, commented that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
The move follows major studios face complex corporate battles. Such proposals were considered concerning for an industry that has experienced significant downsizing over the past several years.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have struggled as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
The platform securing rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on online services will carry on increasing.
