The Academy Awards are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, marking the latest significant change in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on this week, confirming that it finalized a multi-year deal awarding the streaming service the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, set for March 15th, has aired for 50 years on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the show will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.
This is another substantial upheaval in Hollywood, which is navigating corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with drastic production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this alliance will permit us to expand access to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the movie industry," said the Academy's executives in a release.
For many years, audience numbers of the televised event have dropped, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences streaming from cell phones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "among our fundamental pillars of culture" and added that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of artistic expression and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated heritage".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.
This decision follows film industry giants face intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as unfavourable for an industry that has witnessed drastic cuts over the last few years.
Similar to big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has shifted towards streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that the dominance of online services will continue to grow.
