The Oscars Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.

The Oscars ceremony are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, representing the most recent significant change in the film industry.

The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a extended contract awarding the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.

The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the event will be accessible as a free live stream on YouTube.

This is a further major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is navigating corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with drastic reductions in filming.

"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this partnership will permit us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the movie industry," said the Academy's executives in a announcement.

For many years, ratings of the ceremony have declined, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers tuning in from mobile devices and laptops.

In a related comment, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "one of our fundamental cultural touchstones" and added that partnering with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious history".

ABC, which has aired the awards since 1976, stated that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.

This shift follows large entertainment companies confront intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as problematic for an industry that has experienced significant downsizing over the recent period.

Similar to major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the viewers has chosen on-demand video instead.

YouTube winning the license to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on streaming sites will persist to grow.