LOS ANGELES — The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced that Amazon’s Prime Video will be the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards for a six-year period starting in 2027. The Emmy Awards telecast will be available to watch on Prime Video without a subscription.

Prime Video will stream the awards show in more than 240 countries and territories. The agreement ends the "Wheel Deal" system that rotated Emmy telecast distribution rights among ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.

"Television has never been more global, and the Emmys should be a celebration that the world can share," Cris Abrego, Chair of the Television Academy, said. "Now Prime Video audiences in more than 200 countries will be able to experience the Emmys live with no subscription required." "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. "Our broadcast partners have been tremendous stewards of the Emmys for many years, helping to build them into the cultural institution they are today," he said. "Continuity is a big part of what we’re looking for because the rotating part of it basically meant in many ways that we were starting over every year," he said.

He added that Amazon shares the organization's deep respect for the history of the Emmys and brings the investment, innovation and scale to help shape their next chapter. He noted that broadcast partners have been tremendous stewards of the Emmys for many years, helping to build them into the cultural institution they are today.

"Having a dedicated home with Prime Video allows us to build on that legacy with unprecedented global reach and a broader commitment to the Television Academy and our mission throughout the year," he said. He explained that continuity is a big part of what the Academy is looking for because the rotating part of it basically meant in many ways that they were starting over every year.

With one partner over six years, the Academy can really learn together and build from year to year together, according to Abrego. He stated that they really support all television and want reach and access, feeling Amazon was in line with that goal.

"The Academy has never defined television by how it reaches your screen or even which screen it reaches," he said. He emphasized that the goal is to consistently want to recognize excellence wherever it comes from.

Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, described the arrangement as a meaningful investment. He said they timed it perfectly so that all deals came up collectively and it would be free and clear.

"We really talk a lot about just not making this a one-night event," Hopkins said. He noted that the wheel deal was incredibly successful for the Academy and the Emmys for a long time, but as they approached the end, he felt strongly that it shouldn’t just default to the way it always had been done.

Hopkins said it felt for them and the Academy like the right number of years to see if they can together make a meaningful impact. He expressed confidence that they will, stating his expectation is that this is a long-term partnership beyond six years.

"We’ll see what happens," he said. He added that they are on the clock and have to get rolling.

Hopkins said he thinks they are going to be able to increase the viewership over time on the show, age it down, and actually bring in a younger audience, which he thinks is a catalyst to growing. He noted they will have the opportunity throughout the year to be promoting Emmy nominees to customers as a way of saying ‘Hey, watch these shows, but also watch the Emmys.’

"We look at our service as something that’s a hybrid between live and on-demand, and we’ve made live a real priority," he said. The terms of the financial deal were not publicly disclosed.

The deal includes the possibility of other Emmy programs, such as the Creative Arts Emmys, airing on Prime Video. The Primetime Emmys were previously syndicated internationally by U.K.-based distributor Rainmaker Content, excluding Canada and Australia.

NBC aired the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last month, which was the final telecast under the most recent deal struck in 2018. The most recent Emmys telecast drew 6.8 million total viewers across NBC, Peacock, and other digital platforms on Sept. 14.

The 6.8 million viewers for the most recent Emmys represented a roughly 10% decline from the 7.59 million viewers who watched the 2025 ceremony on CBS. The telecast’s 6.87 million viewers this year were higher than its all-time low of 4.3 million in January 2024.

At its peak, the Emmy Awards drew more than 20 million viewers. Apple TV had the most wins of any network at this year’s Emmy Awards, led by Widow’s Bay, which won a total of 14 awards.

The biggest winners at the last two Emmys, Widow’s Bay and The Studio, can both be watched on Prime Video through its partnership with Apple TV.

The Emmy Awards ceremony will stay in September in 2027, but the date may be explored for change in future years. The Emmy Awards have aired on broadcast networks since 1949.

Why It Matters

The Television Academy’s 2026 deal with Prime Video marks the first time the Emmys have had a dedicated global streaming partner, ending 77 years of broadcast network rotations since the first Emmy Awards in 1949. The Television Academy’s previous deal with the broadcast networks generated approximately $8–10 million annually for domestic rights, while the new Prime Video deal is believed to be worth around $15 million per year for global rights.

The Primetime Emmy Awards had an average of 12.5 million viewers between 1990 and 2010, but this number has declined over time, with the 2026 ceremony drawing 6.87 million viewers. The Television Academy's decision to move the Emmys to Prime Video came after at least one of the broadcast networks reportedly dropped out of the negotiations, leaving Amazon as the leading bidder.

What's New

The Television Academy was founded in 1946 as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and it has overseen the Emmy Awards since their inception in 1949.

The Television Academy has historically distributed the Primetime Emmy Awards through international partners, with Rainmaker Content handling syndication in most countries except Canada and Australia.

In 1987, the Television Academy signed a $3 million-per-year deal with Fox to license the Emmy Awards, ending a 30-year rotation among ABC, CBS, and NBC and prompting backlash from traditional networks.

The Television Academy’s first Emmy Awards ceremony in 1949 was held at the Hollywood Athletic Club and awarded a prize for 'Outstanding Personality' to Shirley Dinsdale, a 20-year-old ventriloquist.