The Oscars Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin airing only on YouTube in 2029, signaling the most recent substantial shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has aired for five decades on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible as a free live stream on the digital platform.
This is another substantial upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, along with drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an global institution, and this collaboration will allow us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the cinematic world," remarked organization heads in a release.
Over decades, audience numbers of the awards show have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences streaming from smartphones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our essential pillars of culture" and noted that working with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This decision coincides with large entertainment companies confront complex corporate battles. Both options were seen as concerning for an business that has experienced severe reductions over the past several years.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has shifted towards digital platforms as an alternative.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on streaming sites will persist to grow.
