Prime Video Secures Exclusive Global Rights to Stream Emmy Awards Starting in 2027
The Television Academy ends its seven-decade broadcast rotation with a six-year streaming agreement available to viewers without a subscription.
6 Oct 2026
The Emmy Awards will abandon traditional network television after more than seventy years to establish a permanent streaming home on Amazon Prime Video starting in 2027.
Under the six-year partnership arranged with the Television Academy, the ceremony will be offered freely to the public, meaning viewers will not need a paid Amazon Prime membership to access the feed.
The telecast will carry global distribution, reaching audiences across more than 240 countries and territories simultaneously.
The decision closes an era in American broadcasting during which the ceremony rotated each autumn among four major commercial networks: ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
While official announcements did not reveal the financial details of the agreement, trade reports indicate Amazon will pay between $20 million and $25 million annually, amounting to roughly $120 million over the life of the contract.
The transfer follows years of pressure on conventional linear television ratings. The 78th edition on NBC drew 6.87 million viewers, reflecting an approximate 10 percent dip from the prior year, though it remained above the all-time low of 4.3 million logged in January 2024.
The change also captures a shift in creative momentum within the industry. Streaming services have increasingly swept major Emmy categories, with recent drama and comedy honors going to platform-exclusive productions like The Pitt and Widow's Bay.
Live event television has steadily drifted away from over-the-air channels toward internet distributors. Netflix began carrying the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2024, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences previously arranged to shift the Oscars to YouTube in 2029.
Several presentation details remain unresolved under the new arrangement. Organizers have not stated where the Creative Arts Emmys will appear, though Prime Video could potentially carry supplemental programming such as the Television Academy Hall of Fame ceremony.