LOS ANGELES — The Emmy Awards will leave U.S. broadcast television for Prime Video beginning in 2027, ending a seven-decade run on the major networks.
The Television Academy and Amazon announced a six-year agreement Tuesday making Prime Video the ceremony’s exclusive global home. The live September telecast will remain free to watch without a Prime subscription in more than 240 countries and territories.
The deal replaces the Academy’s “Wheel Deal,” which rotated the Primetime Emmy Awards among ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. The Associated Press reported that one of the four broadcast networks had carried the ceremony every year since 1955.
The agreement gives the Emmys a single distribution partner as streaming platforms increasingly compete for live events once anchored to linear television. The announcements identify Prime Video as the exclusive global destination but do not disclose financial terms or announce a traditional television simulcast.
Radio News Now question: Will free global streaming expand the Emmys’ audience enough to offset the loss of broadcast reach and promotion from four major networks?