After rotating among the four broadcast networks for more than 30 years, the Primetime Emmys are moving to streaming. The Television Academy has confirmed a new six-year deal with Prime Video, starting in 2027. The ceremony will be free for audiences worldwide and will not live behind a paywall. Gold Derby was first to report the news.
This brings an end to the long-standing “wheel deal,” in which the ceremony rotated among the four broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. That arrangement began in 1995. (From 1966-86, the Primetime Emmys rotated among CBS, ABC and NBC in a similar three-way arrangement.)
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The last “wheel deal,” which was struck in 2018, was reportedly for $8 million a year. Terms of the new deal with Prime Video were not disclosed.
The Primetime Emmys are latest awards show — and the second EGOT-level show — to announce a move to a streamer. The Academy of Country Music Awards shifted from CBS to Amazon Prime Video in 2022. The Screen Actors Guild’s recently renamed Actor Awards moved from TNT and TBS to YouTube (through Netflix) in 2023. (Netflix has carried the show the last three years). The granddaddy of all awards shows, the Academy Awards, announced in December that it will move from ABC (which has aired the Oscars since 1976) to YouTube in 2029.
The broadcast networks have had ample reason to be frustrated with carrying the Primetime Emmys, which amplify the prestige of streaming shows. No series on broadcast television has won outstanding drama series since 2006 (when 24 on Fox took the prize). Likewise, no broadcast show has won outstanding comedy series since 2014 (when ABC’s Modern Family won for the fifth year in a row).
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Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, hinted that the move to Prime Video could mean big changes for the ceremony — from the number of ceremonies (there are currently three, though only one that is broadcast) to the timing of the show itself.
“We weren’t looking simply to move the show and keep the exact same show,” Abrego told Gold Derby. “We’ve had conversations about whether September is even the right time to air the show, and what more we could do around it so it’s not just built up to one night. Having it singularly in one home gives us the ability to learn from year to year, versus restarting every year. There are a lot of elements to that we were able to do, and I think Amazon saw that and agreed, which really made them the choice for the future of the Academy and the telecast.”
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement: “For nearly eight decades the Emmys have recognized the best storytelling and talent in television, and we’re honored that Prime Video will be trusted as the global home for this celebration over the next six years. Streaming the Emmys free on Prime Video is another way we’re delivering the best in entertainment to our customers worldwide, and we look forward to collaborating with the Television Academy on this iconic event.”
The 2027 Primetime Emmys will return to the Peacock Theater, the show’s home for all but two years since 2008. “After that, everything’s on the table,” Abrego said.
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Like many awards shows, the Primetime Emmys have struggled in the ratings. This year’s Emmys, which aired on NBC and Peacock on Sept. 14, brought in only 6.7 million viewers, a drop of 9% from the previous year. (One possible issue: the show was held on a Monday night as opposed to the usual Sunday, which is widely seen as the best night to air an awards show.)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay hosted the show, which featured performances by Noah Kahan (in the In Memoriam segment), Reba McEntire (in a tribute to Dolly Parton) and a cameo by Taylor Swift (in a SVU parody sketch starring her pal Hargitay).
