According to media reports, The Academy Awards will begin streaming exclusively on YouTube starting in 2029, marking a major shift for one of Hollywood’s longest-running broadcast staples.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday that it has signed a multi-year agreement granting YouTube exclusive global rights to stream the Oscars through 2033. From 2029 onwards, the ceremony will be available live and free on the platform.

The Oscars, scheduled for 15 March, have aired on ABC for more than half a century. ABC, which has broadcast the awards since 1976, said it is looking forward to the next three telecasts,” it will continue to host before the transition.

The move comes amid continued upheaval in Hollywood, with studios grappling with mergers, asset sales, and deep production cuts. Traditional television networks have been under pressure as audiences increasingly shift toward streaming platforms.

Viewership for the Oscars has declined steadily over the decades, though the ceremony saw a modest rebound in 2025. That uptick was driven in part by younger audiences watching on mobile phones and computers rather than traditional television screens.

In a statement, Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, described the Oscars as “one of our essential cultural institutions,” adding that the partnership would “inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”

The announcement also lands against a broader backdrop of industry uncertainty. On Wednesday, Warner Bros Discovery recommended that shareholders reject a hostile takeover bid involving Paramount Skydance in favour of a competing proposal from streaming giant Netflix.

Both options have been viewed as challenging for an industry already strained by years of cost-cutting and shifting consumption habits.

YouTube securing the rights to the Academy Awards underscores the growing reliance on streaming platforms, even for legacy cultural events that once defined broadcast television.