The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence airing only on YouTube in the year 2029, signaling the latest major shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, indicating that it finalized a multi-year deal giving YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has been televised for 50 years on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the event will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is one more major shakeup in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, in addition to drastic production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be beneficial for our membership and the movie industry," remarked organization heads in a announcement.
Throughout a long period, audience numbers of the awards show have fallen, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from smartphones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive referred to the Oscars "among our fundamental pillars of culture" and said that partnering with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and cinema enthusiasts while staying true to the Oscars' storied history".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, said that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
The move coincides with major studios face complex corporate battles. Both options were seen as concerning for an sector that has witnessed severe reductions over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards on-demand video instead.
The platform securing rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on digital platforms will carry on increasing.
