The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Stream on YouTube Starting in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the most recent significant shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, stating that it entered into a extended contract giving the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has been televised for 50 years on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be viewable in real-time without charge on YouTube.
It's another major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with steep production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will enable us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be beneficial for our membership and the film community," said the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the awards show have declined, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences tuning in from cell phones and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "a key vital cultural institutions" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".
The broadcast network, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, stated that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
The move comes as film industry giants deal with challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were seen as concerning for an industry that has seen drastic cuts over the last few years.
Like big production houses, cable networks have struggled as the public has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Oscars further suggests that dependence on online services will carry on increasing.
