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The Academy Awards are set to start broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, representing the newest substantial shift in Hollywood.

The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, confirming that it entered into a long-term agreement giving the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars through 2033.

The awards show, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for a half a century on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the show will be viewable in real-time without charge on the digital platform.

It's another significant shakeup in Hollywood, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, coupled with severe slashes to movie budgets.

"The Academy is an global institution, and this alliance will permit us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd imaginable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the movie industry," remarked the Academy's executives in a announcement.

Over decades, viewership of the televised event have declined, although there was a small rise in 2025, with a considerable amount of youthful audiences watching from smartphones and computers.

In a corresponding announcement, the video platform's chief executive called the Oscars "among our vital cultural institutions" and noted that working with the Academy would "motivate a new generation of artistic expression and movie fans while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious legacy".

ABC, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.

This decision coincides with major studios deal with intricate takeover attempts. These potential deals were seen as unfavourable for an business that has witnessed severe reductions over the last few years.

Similar to big production houses, cable networks have encountered challenges as the public has chosen streaming services instead.

YouTube obtaining the license to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that the dominance of streaming sites will carry on to grow.