The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin airing only on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the latest major transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a extended contract granting YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the show will be accessible as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's a further substantial upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, along with drastic production cuts.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will enable us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be positive for our membership and the cinematic world," stated the Academy's executives in a statement.
For many years, viewership of the ceremony have declined, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers watching from mobile devices and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural touchstones" and noted that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious history".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will continue to air.
The move follows major studios deal with challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were seen as concerning for an business that has seen significant downsizing over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the audience has chosen digital platforms instead.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will persist increasing.