The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Starting in the Year 2029.

The Academy Awards are set to start airing only on YouTube in 2029, signaling the most recent significant shift in Hollywood.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, stating that it signed a extended contract granting YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars through 2033.

The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has been broadcast for five decades on the traditional network. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable as a free live stream on the digital platform.

It's a further substantial upheaval in the entertainment world, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.

"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will enable us to increase availability to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be positive for our Academy members and the cinematic world," stated Academy leadership in a release.

Throughout a long period, viewership of the ceremony have fallen, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of youthful audiences streaming from mobile devices and desktops.

In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "among our essential cultural touchstones" and added that working with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".

The broadcast network, which has aired the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will continue to air.

This decision coincides with film industry giants confront intricate takeover attempts. Both options were considered unfavourable for an sector that has seen severe reductions over the recent period.

In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.

YouTube obtaining the license to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of digital platforms will carry on to grow.