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The Oscars ceremony will begin airing only on YouTube in 2029, representing the latest substantial shift in the film industry.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the announcement on this week, stating that it signed a multi-year deal giving YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars up to 2033.

The awards show, which is planned for 15 March, has aired for 50 years on ABC. Starting in 2029, the event will be accessible live and for free on YouTube.

This is a further major restructuring in Hollywood, which is dealing with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to severe production cuts.

"Our Academy represents an worldwide body, and this collaboration will allow us to broaden reach to the mission of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience attainable - which will be advantageous for our Academy members and the cinematic world," remarked the Academy's executives in a release.

Over decades, audience numbers of the awards show have declined, even if there was a minor increase in 2025, with a significant number of younger viewers watching from smartphones and computers.

In a related comment, YouTube's CEO described the Oscars "one of our fundamental cultural institutions" and added that teaming up with the Academy would "spark a fresh wave of creativity and film lovers while remaining faithful to the Oscars' illustrious heritage".

ABC, which has televised the ceremony since the mid-1970s, commented that it was excited "to hosting the event three more times" it will still host.

This shift comes as film industry giants confront complex corporate battles. These potential deals were considered unfavourable for an business that has seen severe reductions over the past several years.

Like major studios, cable networks have struggled as the audience has chosen streaming services instead.

YouTube obtaining rights to the Academy Awards strongly indicates that reliance on online services will continue to grow.