Prime Video to become exclusive global home of Primetime Emmys from 2027

Prime Video replaces the network wheel

The deal ends the four-network wheel among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, which concluded with the 2026 ceremony. The 2027 ceremony will be the first Primetime Emmys not to air on a broadcast outlet, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Prime Video's rights run from 2027 through 2032.

The four-network rotation had been in its current form since the mid-1990s, after a six-year Fox run from 1987 to 1992 and two years on ABC in 1993 and 1994, The Hollywood Reporter reported. CNBC reported the most recent contract was an eight-year deal that expired with this year's ceremony, which aired on NBC and Peacock on 14 September.

Prime Video will stream the ceremony free, with no Prime subscription required, in more than 240 countries and territories, the companies said.

Why the Academy chose one partner

Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, told The Hollywood Reporter the deal was "truly an opportunity to rethink the model and not simply just renew the deal." He said rotating among the four broadcast networks every year meant the Academy was in many ways starting over with a new partner, from hiring a producer to building brand relationships.

Abrego said the Academy discussed a renewal with the networks and talked with other outlets before signing with Prime Video. He said access had been a priority from the start: "Exclusivity in the honors should never mean exclusivity in access."

The Emmys will also be the first of the EGOT awards, Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys, to be exclusive to a streaming platform, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said the company was "honored that Prime Video will be trusted as the global home for this celebration over the next six years." Abrego said Amazon shares the Academy's deep respect for the history of the Emmys and brings "the investment, innovation and scale" to help shape its next chapter, Entertainment Weekly reported.

Financial terms and audience

Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed, CNBC reported. The Television Academy's latest annual report valued the annual Emmy fee at about $9.5 million, according to GuruFocus. Production costs are paid separately by the rights holder.

Estimates of the 2026 audience varied. USA Today reported 6.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and other digital platforms. TechCrunch, citing the AP, reported 6.87 million, down nearly 10% from the prior year. GuruFocus reported 6.7 million, also down about 10%. TechCrunch reported the 6.87 million figure was above an all-time low of 4.3 million in January 2024.

For comparison, the 2025 Emmys drew 7.59 million on CBS and the 2024 ceremony drew 6.9 million on ABC, USA Today reported. Before 2026, NBC last aired the Emmys in 2022, when 5.92 million watched.

What happens next

The 2027 ceremony is scheduled for September 2027. No exact date and no host have been announced, TV Insider reported. Planning had not begun in earnest at the time of the announcement, three weeks after the 2026 ceremony, Abrego told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Creative Arts Emmys have aired on FXX for more than a decade. Their televised home is still under discussion, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Prime Video may also carry other Television Academy programming, including the Hall of Fame and Television Academy Honors ceremony.

The move follows other awards shows to streaming. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in December 2025 that the Oscars would move from ABC to YouTube and YouTube TV in 2029, CNBC reported. Netflix has aired the SAG Awards exclusively since 2024.