LOS ANGELES - The Oscars will be shown only on YouTube from 2029, the Academy said, in a radical gambit for a movie industry that remains wary of streaming platforms even as viewing habits shift online.
The new five-year deal means Hollywood's most prestigious awards ceremony will be viewable exclusively online for the first time, ending a decades-long relationship with US broadcaster ABC.
The decision will allow the Academy Awards to reach "the largest worldwide audience possible -- which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community," said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor in a statement.
The annual Oscars, which celebrate the year's top achievements in film and draw the world's biggest A-list stars, are regularly watched by around 20 million Americans, and millions more globally.
ABC's latest contract to broadcast the show had been due to end in 2028, with the 100th Academy Awards. The Disney-owned channel will continue to air the Oscars up until then.
The SAG Awards, another important Hollywood awards gala which recently rebranded as The Actors Awards, have already moved to Netflix.
YouTube accounts for the biggest share of television viewing time in the United States of any streaming platform, dwarfing even Netflix.
"This collaboration will leverage YouTube's vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honouring our legacy," said the Academy statement.
Financial terms of the new Oscars deal were not disclosed.
Industry website Deadline said "the amount that YouTube was willing to pay didn't make sense for Disney," citing anonymous insiders.