🔗 Share this article The Academy Awards Are Exiting Broadcast TV and Stream on YouTube Beginning in 2029. The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on YouTube in 2029, marking the most recent significant shift in Hollywood. The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, stating that it entered into a extended contract granting YouTube the sole worldwide broadcasting rights to the Oscars up to 2033. The Oscars, which is planned for March 15th, has aired for 50 years on the traditional network. Beginning in 2029, the show will be viewable in real-time without charge on YouTube. This is a further significant restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with studio sales and mergers, in addition to severe production cuts. "Our Academy represents an international organization, and this collaboration will permit us to broaden reach to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the movie industry," stated the Academy's executives in a statement. Over decades, audience numbers of the ceremony have declined, even if there was a minor increase in recent years, with a significant number of Gen Z and millennial watchers streaming from smartphones and computers. In a related comment, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "one of our vital cultural touchstones" and said that working with the Academy would "inspire a fresh wave of artistic expression and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' celebrated legacy". The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will still host. The move follows major studios face intricate takeover attempts. Such proposals were viewed as unfavourable for an sector that has witnessed drastic cuts over the last few years. In common with major studios, cable networks have encountered challenges as the viewers has increasingly opted for digital platforms as an alternative. YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars strongly indicates that reliance on digital platforms will carry on increasing.