The Oscars to Depart ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in the Year 2029.

The Oscars ceremony will begin airing only on the global video platform in 2029, marking the latest major change in the film industry.

The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on this week, confirming that it entered into a multi-year deal granting YouTube the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.

The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible as a free live stream on the digital platform.

It's another significant shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, in addition to severe reductions in filming.

"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be positive for our membership and the cinematic world," remarked Academy leadership in a release.

Over decades, ratings of the ceremony have declined, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of younger viewers tuning in from cell phones and desktops.

In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "a key vital cultural institutions" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied history".

The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.

This shift coincides with major studios deal with complex corporate battles. These potential deals were seen as problematic for an business that has witnessed severe reductions over the last few years.

Similar to major studios, cable networks have faced issues as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video as an alternative.

YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on digital platforms will carry on to grow.