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The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, signaling the latest significant shift in Hollywood.

The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement awarding YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.

The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the event will be accessible as a free live stream on the digital platform.

This is another significant shakeup in Hollywood, which is navigating company buyouts and fusions, coupled with steep production cuts.

"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will permit us to broaden reach to the work of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd attainable - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the film community," said Academy leadership in a statement.

Throughout a long period, viewership of the awards show have fallen, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers streaming from mobile devices and desktops.

In a related comment, the head of YouTube called the Oscars "among our fundamental cultural touchstones" and noted that working with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of innovation and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' illustrious history".

ABC, which has aired the ceremony since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host.

This shift comes as major studios face intricate takeover attempts. Both options were considered unfavourable for an sector that has experienced significant downsizing over the recent period.

In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has shifted towards on-demand video instead.

YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that the dominance of streaming sites will persist to grow.