The Academy Awards Are Exiting ABC and Stream on the Video Platform Starting in 2029.
The Oscars ceremony are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, representing the newest major transformation in the film industry.
The organization behind the Oscars revealed the news on this week, stating that it finalized a extended contract awarding the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, has aired for a half a century on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible live and for free on the digital platform.
This is another substantial restructuring in Hollywood, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, coupled with drastic production cuts.
"The Academy is an worldwide body, and this partnership will allow us to increase availability to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the film community," stated Academy leadership in a statement.
For many years, ratings of the ceremony have declined, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers streaming from smartphones and computers.
In a separate statement, the head of YouTube described the Oscars "one of our fundamental pillars of culture" and noted that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of creativity and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".
ABC, which has televised the awards since the mid-1970s, commented that it was looking forward "to the next three telecasts" it will retain rights for.
This shift coincides with film industry giants face challenging merger discussions. Both options were seen as problematic for an industry that has seen significant downsizing over the last few years.
Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the public has increasingly opted for digital platforms as an alternative.
The platform securing the license to the Academy Awards clearly signals that reliance on streaming sites will carry on expanding.
