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The Oscars ceremony are set to start streaming exclusively on the global video platform in 2029, signaling the most recent significant shift in Hollywood.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared the decision on this week, indicating that it entered into a extended contract granting the streaming service the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars until 2033.

The awards show, which is planned for March 15th, has been televised for five decades on ABC. Commencing in 2029, the ceremony will be accessible live and for free on YouTube.

It's a further major upheaval in Hollywood, which is dealing with company buyouts and fusions, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.

"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this collaboration will allow us to expand access to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience imaginable - which will be advantageous for our membership and the movie industry," stated Academy leadership in a release.

Over decades, viewership of the ceremony have declined, although there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers watching from mobile devices and laptops.

In a corresponding announcement, the head of YouTube referred to the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and said that partnering with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and movie fans while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".

The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, stated that it was looking forward "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.

This shift comes as large entertainment companies deal with challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were viewed as concerning for an industry that has experienced significant downsizing over the past several years.

Similar to major studios, traditional TV channels have faced issues as the audience has shifted towards streaming services instead.

YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Academy Awards further suggests that dependence on streaming sites will continue increasing.