The Academy Awards will begin broadcasting solely on YouTube in the year 2029, representing the latest major shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, confirming that it signed a long-term agreement granting the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The awards show, set for 15 March, has been televised for 50 years on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the show will be accessible in real-time without charge on YouTube.
This is another significant shakeup in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, coupled with severe reductions in filming.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this collaboration will allow us to increase availability to the work of the Academy to the biggest global viewership attainable - which will be positive for our film artists and the movie industry," said the Academy's executives in a statement.
For many years, viewership of the ceremony have fallen, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from mobile devices and laptops.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of innovation and cinema enthusiasts while adhering to the Oscars' storied heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since 1976, said that it was looking forward "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.
The move follows large entertainment companies confront complex corporate battles. Both options were considered problematic for an industry that has seen significant downsizing over the recent period.
Similar to big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the public has chosen digital platforms as an alternative.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars clearly signals that dependence on online services will persist to grow.
