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The Oscars ceremony will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, representing the newest major shift in Hollywood.

The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on Wednesday, stating that it finalized a multi-year deal giving the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033.

The Oscars, scheduled for March 15th, has been televised for 50 years on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be viewable as a free live stream on the digital platform.

It's a further substantial restructuring in the entertainment world, which is navigating company buyouts and fusions, along with drastic reductions in filming.

"The Academy is an international organization, and this collaboration will allow us to increase availability to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the film community," stated the Academy's executives in a release.

For many years, ratings of the televised event have declined, though there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers tuning in from smartphones and computers.

In a corresponding announcement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "a key fundamental pillars of culture" and added that teaming up with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of innovation and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars' illustrious history".

The broadcast network, which has streamed the awards since the mid-1970s, commented that it was excited "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.

This shift coincides with large entertainment companies confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were seen as problematic for an sector that has experienced significant downsizing over the past several years.

In common with big production houses, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the audience has increasingly opted for on-demand video instead.

YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that dependence on digital platforms will continue to grow.