The Oscars Are Exiting ABC and Stream on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, marking the most recent major change in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, stating that it finalized a multi-year deal granting YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible live and for free on the digital platform.
This is another major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to drastic reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this partnership will enable us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," remarked the Academy's executives in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, viewership of the ceremony have declined, even if there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences tuning in from smartphones and laptops.
In a separate statement, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "a key vital cultural touchstones" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of innovation and movie fans while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
The move comes as large entertainment companies face intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as unfavourable for an industry that has seen severe reductions over the last few years.
Like major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the public has chosen on-demand video as an alternative.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that the dominance of digital platforms will carry on to grow.
