Emmys leave broadcast television for Amazon Prime Video in historic six-year deal

Amazon Prime Video is set to become the exclusive global streaming home of the Emmy Awards under a new six-year agreement with the Television Academy, beginning with the 2027 ceremony.

Amazon Prime Video becomes the new global home of the Emmy Awards.

The deal marks a major change for one of television’s most prestigious awards shows, ending decades of reliance on traditional U.S. broadcast networks. The Emmys have historically rotated among ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, a system commonly known as the “Wheel Deal.”

Under the new arrangement, the ceremony will stream live on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. Importantly, viewers will not need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the awards, as the event is expected to remain free worldwide.

The Emmy Awards stage as the ceremony prepares for a new streaming era.

The first Emmy ceremony under the agreement will take place in September 2027. The Television Academy said moving to a single long-term streaming partner will provide greater continuity and allow it to build the event from year to year rather than starting afresh with a different broadcaster.

The agreement also reflects the rapidly changing television industry. Streaming platforms have increasingly become central to the production, distribution and promotion of major television programmes, while traditional broadcast audiences have faced growing competition from digital services.

For Amazon, the Emmys deal expands Prime Video’s growing portfolio of major live events. The company already has significant experience streaming live sports and entertainment programming, and the awards ceremony gives it another high-profile global event capable of attracting viewers and advertisers.

The shift could also help the Emmys reach younger and international audiences. The ceremony has faced challenges with declining television viewership, making global streaming access an important part of the Academy’s effort to keep the event relevant in a changing media environment.

The iconic Emmy statuette ahead of the awards show’s move to Prime Video.

Television Academy chair Cris Abrego described the partnership as an opportunity to give the Emmys unprecedented global reach, while Prime Video chief Mike Hopkins said Amazon was honoured to become the awards show’s global home.

The move follows a wider migration of major entertainment events toward streaming. The Oscars, for example, are scheduled to move to YouTube for global streaming beginning in 2029, while Netflix has also expanded its live awards-show presence.

For the Emmys, however, the Amazon agreement represents a particularly significant break with tradition: after more than seven decades on broadcast television, the awards will enter a new era in which streaming becomes its primary global platform.