The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will begin airing only on the global video platform in 2029, representing the most recent significant shift in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, stating that it entered into a extended contract giving the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.
The Oscars, set for 15 March, has aired for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be viewable as a free live stream on the digital platform.
It's a further major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is dealing with studio sales and mergers, along with steep production cuts.
"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be positive for our film artists and the film community," said organization heads in a statement.
For many years, viewership of the televised event have declined, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from cell phones and computers.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "among our vital cultural institutions" and added that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied history".
ABC, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will continue to air.
This decision coincides with film industry giants confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were viewed as problematic for an business that has witnessed drastic cuts over the recent period.
Similar to big production houses, cable networks have struggled as the public has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
YouTube winning rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of online services will persist expanding.
