The Academy Awards are set to start airing only on YouTube in 2029, signaling the newest major shift in Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, confirming that it signed a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, set for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the event will be available live and for free on the digital platform.
This is another substantial upheaval in Hollywood, which is navigating studio sales and mergers, along with drastic slashes to movie budgets.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this alliance will enable us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the film community," said organization heads in a release.
Over decades, ratings of the televised event have declined, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from mobile devices and laptops.
In a related comment, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural institutions" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "inspire a younger cohort of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied heritage".
The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.
This decision coincides with major studios face challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were seen as concerning for an sector that has experienced drastic cuts over the past several years.
Similar to major studios, cable networks have struggled as the public has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.
The platform securing broadcasting rights to the Oscars clearly signals that reliance on online services will carry on expanding.
