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The Oscars ceremony will commence broadcasting solely on the global video platform in 2029, marking the latest substantial change in Hollywood.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, confirming that it entered into a extended contract giving the streaming service the unique international license to the Oscars until 2033.

The Oscars, set for 15 March, has been broadcast for 50 years on ABC. Beginning in 2029, the show will be viewable live and for free on the digital platform.

It's one more significant shakeup in Hollywood, which is navigating studio sales and mergers, along with steep slashes to movie budgets.

"The Academy is an global institution, and this collaboration will permit us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the cinematic world," remarked Academy leadership in a release.

For many years, audience numbers of the ceremony have dropped, although there was a slight uptick in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers tuning in from cell phones and laptops.

In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "a key essential cultural touchstones" and added that working with the Academy would "inspire a new generation of artistic expression and movie fans while adhering to the Oscars' storied heritage".

ABC, which has streamed the ceremony since 1976, said that it was eagerly anticipating "to hosting the event three more times" it will retain rights for.

This shift comes as major studios confront challenging merger discussions. Such proposals were considered unfavourable for an industry that has experienced significant downsizing over the last few years.

Like big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the viewers has increasingly opted for streaming services instead.

YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards clearly signals that the dominance of online services will carry on to grow.