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The Oscars ceremony will begin airing only on the global video platform in 2029, signaling the newest major shift in the film industry.

The organization behind the Oscars declared the decision on Wednesday, indicating that it signed a multi-year deal granting YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars through 2033.

The Oscars, set for March 15th, has been broadcast for 50 years on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the show will be viewable as a free live stream on YouTube.

This is one more major shakeup in the entertainment world, which is grappling with company buyouts and fusions, in addition to severe slashes to movie budgets.

"The Academy is an international organization, and this alliance will permit us to increase availability to the mission of the Academy to the most extensive international crowd possible - which will be beneficial for our film artists and the movie industry," said organization heads in a announcement.

Over decades, ratings of the ceremony have declined, though there was a minor increase in 2025, with a notable portion of youthful audiences streaming from smartphones and laptops.

In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "one of our essential cultural touchstones" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "motivate a fresh wave of creativity and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' celebrated history".

The broadcast network, which has aired the ceremony since the mid-1970s, said that it was excited "to the upcoming broadcasts" it will retain rights for.

The move comes as major studios face challenging merger discussions. These potential deals were seen as problematic for an industry that has experienced drastic cuts over the last few years.

Like major studios, traditional TV channels have encountered challenges as the public has chosen digital platforms as an alternative.

The platform securing the license to the Oscars strongly indicates that reliance on digital platforms will continue expanding.