The annual Academy Awards will be aired at American Broadcasting Company (ABC) not only this year but in the next nine years. An agreement between the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the ABC was announced Thursday and their contract has been extended for ABC to broadcast Oscars until 2020.

The Associated Press noted that the new deal is an extension of the six-year agreement they had earlier sealed for the much-coveted awards event for films.

Satisfied with how ABC has been meeting the show’s peculiar needs, the academy officials did not have second thoughts to air the show domestically on the network.

“[ABC] has consistently demonstrated an understanding of what makes us unique,” Academy executive director, Bruce Davis was quoted saying by the Associated Press. ABC has now been airing Oscars for 36 consecutive years.

It is not clear however if the recent deal between the Academy and the Oscars would also mean an extension of the international rights for the show. The international rights, noted AP are contracted until 2014 with Walt Disney International, which is owned by ABC.

83rd Annual Academy Awards Coverage

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