The Academy Awards Will Leave 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 the year 2029, representing the latest substantial shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, indicating that it signed a multi-year deal granting YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable live and for free on YouTube.
This is a further major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, in addition to drastic reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this alliance will enable us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the movie industry," stated Academy leadership in a statement.
For many years, viewership of the ceremony have fallen, though there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences tuning in from cell phones and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' storied legacy".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.
This shift follows large entertainment companies deal with intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as concerning for an sector that has experienced significant downsizing over the last few years.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have struggled as the viewers has shifted towards digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning the license to the Academy Awards further suggests that the dominance of streaming sites will persist increasing.
