The Oscars Are Exiting ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the latest significant change in the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on Wednesday, confirming that it finalized a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has aired for 50 years on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's another significant restructuring in Hollywood, which is navigating company buyouts and fusions, coupled with severe production cuts.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will enable us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the cinematic world," remarked organization heads in a announcement.
For many years, viewership of the televised event have declined, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences tuning in from cell phones and laptops.
In a related comment, the video platform's chief executive described the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and said that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a fresh wave of innovation and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious history".
ABC, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
This decision comes as large entertainment companies confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were seen as problematic for an industry that has witnessed drastic cuts over the past several years.
Like big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the audience has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will continue to grow.
