The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on the global video platform in the year 2029, signaling the most recent major shift in the film industry.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on Wednesday, indicating that it entered into a multi-year deal granting the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars up to 2033.
The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for 50 years on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be accessible in real-time without charge on the digital platform.
This is another significant restructuring in Hollywood, which is navigating studio sales and mergers, coupled with drastic production cuts.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this partnership will enable 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 film community," said the Academy's executives in a statement.
Over decades, audience numbers of the awards show have declined, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from cell phones and desktops.
In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "one of our fundamental pillars of culture" and said that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of creativity and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' storied heritage".
The broadcast network, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, stated that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This shift coincides with major studios confront challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were seen as concerning for an industry that has experienced drastic cuts over the recent period.
In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the public has chosen on-demand video instead.
YouTube obtaining rights to the Oscars further suggests that reliance on online services will carry on to grow.
