The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on YouTube Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence airing only on YouTube in 2029, signaling the newest substantial change in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a extended contract giving YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for five decades on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be available in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is one more significant upheaval in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, coupled with steep production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this collaboration will enable us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the cinematic world," remarked organization heads in a release.
For many years, audience numbers of the televised event have declined, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from cell phones and laptops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "a key essential pillars of culture" and added that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of innovation and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' storied heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.
The move comes as major studios face intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were considered concerning for an industry that has witnessed significant downsizing over the past several years.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the viewers has increasingly opted for digital platforms instead.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on digital platforms will carry on to grow.
