The Oscars Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence airing only on the global video platform in the year 2029, marking the latest significant transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, indicating that it finalized a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has been broadcast for five decades on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
This is a further major shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, along with severe slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will enable us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a release.
Over decades, audience numbers of the televised event have fallen, though there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from smartphones and computers.
In a related comment, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and added that partnering with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, said that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will continue to air.
This shift coincides with major studios deal with challenging merger discussions. Both options were seen as concerning for an industry that has seen drastic cuts over the past several years.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has shifted towards on-demand video instead.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that dependence on streaming sites will continue increasing.
