Emmy Awards exit broadcast television for Amazon’s Prime Video

The television industry’s marquee awards show is heading to streaming starting next year.

Amazon’s Prime Video platform will be the “exclusive global home” of the Emmy Awards for a six-year period starting in 2027, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Tuesday morning.

“Television has never been more global, and the Emmys should be a celebration that the world can share,” said Cris Abrego, the chair of the Television Academy. “Now Prime Video audiences in more than 200 countries will be able to experience the Emmys live with no subscription required.”

The Emmys has been a mainstay of broadcast television for decades, with academy heads following a “Wheel Deal” system that rotated telecast distribution rights among ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

The move comes nearly a year after the organization behind the Oscars said Hollywood’s top awards show would move to YouTube starting in 2029, after the film academy’s deal with ABC concludes. ABC has aired the Academy Awards since the 1970s.

The two deals illustrate streaming’s growing dominance in the television and video ecosystem. In July, 49% of all U.S. television viewing was on a streaming platform, according to statistics published by Nielsen, compared to 19.5% on broadcast networks.

The most recent Emmys telecast drew 6.8 million total viewers across NBC, Peacock and other digital platforms on Sept. 14 — a roughly 10% decline from the 7.59 million viewers who tuned in for the 2025 ceremony on CBS.

In a news release, Amazon and the Television Academy said the new distribution pact would turn the Emmys into “a year-round cultural celebration,” with Prime Video “delivering new experiences and entry points” for TV fans.

“Amazon shares our deep respect for the history of the Emmys and brings the investment, innovation and scale to help us shape their next chapter,” Abrego said.