Amazon’s Prime Video will become the exclusive broadcaster of the Emmy Awards starting in 2027, marking a significant shift for the long-established television event. The streaming service has secured a six-year agreement with the Television Academy, granting it global rights to air the ceremony. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Historically, the Emmy Awards broadcasting rights rotated annually among the four major U.S. broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. According to the Television Academy’s most recent annual report, these rights were valued at approximately $95 million (roughly A$136 million), a figure that does not include production costs, which are covered by the rights holder.

Under Amazon’s new arrangement, the Emmys will remain accessible to non-subscribers, with the company indicating that the broadcast will not be placed behind a paywall. This approach reflects an effort to maintain broad audience reach despite shifting the event to a streaming platform.

The Emmys’ move to a streamer continues a broader industry trend of high-profile awards shows and live events migrating away from traditional broadcast television. Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the Oscars would stream exclusively on YouTube starting in 2029. Additionally, Netflix has been streaming the Screen Actors Guild Awards—now rebranded as the Actor Awards—since 2024.

The shift toward streaming extends beyond awards shows, with live sports increasingly available on these platforms. For example, Amazon Prime Video holds rights to NFL and NBA games, while Netflix also streams select NFL matchups.

The Emmy Awards have experienced a marked decline in viewership compared to their peak years, although recent broadcasts have shown signs of recovery. The majority of Emmy recipients currently come from premium cable networks such as HBO and streaming services including Netflix and Apple TV.

Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video, acknowledged the challenges facing the awards show’s legacy brand but emphasized the potential for renewal. In a recent interview, he described the Emmy Awards as “an iconic property that has had some decline over the last few years,” but expressed optimism about the opportunity to “reimagine the broadcast and bring in a younger audience.”