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The Academy Awards are set to start airing only on the global video platform in the year 2029, signaling the latest significant shift in the film industry.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it signed a multi-year deal awarding the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.

The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the show will be accessible as a free live stream on YouTube.

It's another substantial upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to steep reductions in filming.

"The Academy is an global institution, and this alliance will permit us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be positive for our Academy members and the cinematic world," remarked organization heads in a announcement.

Throughout a long period, viewership of the televised event have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers streaming from cell phones and desktops.

In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "one of our essential pillars of culture" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of innovation and cinema enthusiasts while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".

The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.

This decision coincides with large entertainment companies confront intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were considered unfavourable for an industry that has experienced drastic cuts over the recent period.

Similar to big production houses, cable networks have struggled as the viewers has increasingly opted for streaming services as an alternative.

The platform securing the license to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of online services will continue expanding.