The Emmy Awards will depart traditional television in favor of Amazon’s Prime Video beginning in 2027, following the announcement of a six-year exclusive global streaming agreement. The deal between Amazon and the Television Academy was revealed on Tuesday, marking a significant shift for the prestigious honors.
Under the terms of the contract, the annual event celebrating excellence in television will be available free of charge to viewers across more than 240 countries and territories. Notably, access will not require a Prime subscription, allowing non-subscribers to watch the live broadcast globally.
This agreement concludes the long-standing “wheel deal” system that had governed the ceremony’s presentation for decades. Since at least 1994, the Emmys rotated annually among major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. The most recent iteration of this rotating contract expired earlier this year, with NBC, owned by Comcast, airing the 2026 ceremony on September 14.
In its press release, Prime Video described the new arrangement as establishing a “permanent home” for the awards, contrasting sharply with the previous multi-network rotation. Financial details of the six-year pact were not disclosed.
Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, emphasized the strategic importance of the move in a statement. “Television has never been more global, and the Emmys should be a celebration that the world can share,” Abrego said. He added that partnering with Prime Video provides “unprecedented global reach” and supports the Academy’s mission throughout the year.
The transition highlights broader trends within the media industry as American audiences increasingly abandon cable and broadcast television for streaming subscriptions. Streaming platforms have expanded their portfolios to include live events and sports rights, previously the domain of traditional networks.
This development follows similar moves elsewhere in the entertainment awards space. In December 2025, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a partnership with Alphabet’s YouTube and YouTube TV to stream the Oscars starting in 2029, succeeding ABC. Additionally, Netflix has exclusively broadcast the SAG Awards since 2024.
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