The Oscars Will Leave ABC and Broadcast Live on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the latest major shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on this week, stating that it finalized a extended contract giving the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the show will be viewable as a free live stream on the digital platform.
This is one more substantial upheaval in Hollywood, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, coupled with steep slashes to movie budgets.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this alliance will permit us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the ceremony have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences tuning in from cell phones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural touchstones" and noted that working with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of creativity and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will retain rights for.
This decision comes as film industry giants deal with challenging merger discussions. Both options were viewed as concerning for an business that has witnessed severe reductions over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the public has chosen streaming services instead.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that dependence on streaming sites will continue increasing.
