The Academy Awards Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on YouTube in 2029, signaling the most recent significant shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, indicating that it entered into a multi-year deal giving the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be available live and for free on the digital platform.
It's one more significant upheaval in the entertainment world, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with severe reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this alliance will allow us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be positive for our film artists and the cinematic world," stated organization heads in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, ratings of the awards show have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences streaming from mobile devices and laptops.
In a related comment, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
ABC, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will continue to air.
This decision coincides with major studios confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were seen as problematic for an industry that has seen severe reductions over the last few years.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the viewers has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on streaming sites will carry on increasing.
