TLDR
- Amazon’s Prime Video signed a six-year deal to become the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards.
- The deal starts with the 2027 ceremony and ends the broadcast network rotation among ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
- The Emmy ceremony will stream free worldwide, with no Prime subscription required to watch.
- Financial terms were not disclosed, though the prior annual rights fee was about $9.5 million.
- Prime Video head Mike Hopkins said Amazon wants to attract younger viewers and refresh the show’s format.
Amazon has reached a six-year agreement to make Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards. The deal was announced Tuesday by the Television Academy and Amazon.
Television’s biggest night has a new home.
The Television Academy and Prime Video announce a six-year deal establishing Prime Video as the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards. pic.twitter.com/SKVcoti4Be
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) October 6, 2026
The agreement takes effect with the 2027 ceremony. It ends a long standing arrangement known as the “Wheel Deal,” where the broadcast rotated each year among ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
This year’s ceremony was the last one under that rotation. Starting in 2027, Prime Video will carry the show every year for six years straight.
Streaming Replaces the Network Rotation
Despite the move to streaming, Amazon says the ceremony will remain free to watch. Viewers will not need a Prime subscription to tune in.
The show will also continue to air live in September, keeping its usual place on the entertainment calendar.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by either side. The Television Academy’s most recent annual report had valued the prior yearly rights fee at about $9.5 million.
Production costs for the show are paid separately by whichever company holds the broadcast rights. That cost structure is expected to carry over under the new agreement.
For a company the size of Amazon, the rights fee alone would not have much impact on its finances. The larger value lies in using a recognizable live event to draw more viewers to Prime Video.
That approach faces some hurdles. The most recent Emmy ceremony drew an average of 6.7 million viewers, a drop of 10% from the year before.
Viewership had still improved from a record low two years earlier, showing some recovery in audience interest.
Amazon Looks to Reshape the Format
Prime Video head Mike Hopkins said Amazon wants to bring in younger viewers. He said the company also plans to rethink how the ceremony is presented.
Specific changes to the show’s format have not yet been detailed. More information is expected closer to the 2027 broadcast.
The Emmy Awards began in 1949. They recognize achievements in television acting, writing and production.
The ceremony has long served as a major promotional event for the television industry in the United States.
Traditional broadcast networks have faced growing competition from streaming platforms in recent years. Viewing habits have shifted toward digital services for live events and award shows.
Amazon is not the only company making this kind of move. Organizers of the Academy Awards said last year that the Oscars will leave ABC and move to stream live on YouTube starting in 2029.
The Emmy deal adds another high profile live event to Prime Video’s lineup. The service has already expanded into original films, television shows, sports and other streaming partnerships.
Amazon will now have until the 2027 ceremony to prepare the new format and test whether a streaming home can help reverse the recent decline in Emmy viewership.
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