The Academy Awards Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will begin broadcasting solely on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the newest substantial shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, indicating that it signed a extended contract awarding the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been televised for five decades on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable live and for free on YouTube.
This is another significant restructuring in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, along with drastic production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to expand access to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," stated Academy leadership in a release.
For many years, audience numbers of the ceremony have fallen, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers tuning in from smartphones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural touchstones" and added that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of creativity and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
The move comes as film industry giants confront complex corporate battles. These potential deals were seen as unfavourable for an industry that has witnessed drastic cuts over the recent period.
Like big production houses, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will continue expanding.
