The Oscars to Depart Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin airing only on the global video platform in 2029, signaling the latest substantial shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it signed a extended contract awarding YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has been broadcast for five decades on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is another significant upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with steep production cuts.
"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will enable us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership possible - which will be positive for our membership and the film community," remarked the Academy's executives in a release.
Over decades, audience numbers of the awards show have fallen, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of younger viewers streaming from cell phones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key fundamental cultural institutions" and noted that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
The broadcast network, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
This decision comes as film industry giants confront complex corporate battles. Both options were considered unfavourable for an sector that has seen significant downsizing over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the audience has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that reliance on digital platforms will continue to grow.
