The Academy Awards Will Leave Broadcast TV and Stream on the Video Platform Beginning in 2029.

The Oscars ceremony are set to start streaming exclusively on YouTube in the year 2029, representing the latest substantial transformation in the film industry.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the news on Wednesday, confirming that it finalized a extended contract granting the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.

The Oscars, which is planned for 15 March, has aired for a half a century on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.

It's one more major upheaval in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, in addition to drastic reductions in filming.

"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be positive for our membership and the cinematic world," said organization heads in a release.

Over decades, viewership of the ceremony have fallen, though there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from mobile devices and laptops.

In a related comment, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "one of our fundamental cultural institutions" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a younger cohort of creativity and cinema enthusiasts while staying true to the Oscars' celebrated history".

The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, commented that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will retain rights for.

This decision comes as film industry giants face challenging merger discussions. Both options were viewed as concerning for an industry that has witnessed severe reductions over the recent period.

In common with big production houses, cable networks have faced issues as the viewers has chosen streaming services instead.

The platform securing the license to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on online services will continue to grow.