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The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, signaling the most recent substantial change in Hollywood.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, confirming that it finalized a extended contract granting YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.

The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been broadcast for five decades on ABC. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible live and for free on YouTube.

It's a further significant upheaval in Hollywood, which is navigating corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with steep reductions in filming.

"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this alliance will permit 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 cinematic world," stated the Academy's executives in a release.

Over decades, viewership of the televised event have dropped, though there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from mobile devices and laptops.

In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO called the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural institutions" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".

ABC, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.

This shift follows film industry giants face challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were considered concerning for an industry that has experienced drastic cuts over the last few years.

Similar to big production houses, cable networks have struggled as the audience has chosen streaming services as an alternative.

YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that reliance on streaming sites will carry on increasing.