Amazon wins global rights to stream Emmys in six-year deal

Amazon Prime Video has secured exclusive global streaming rights to the Emmy Awards in a six-year agreement. Starting in 2027, the ceremony will leave traditional US broadcast television.

The show will stream live worldwide every September at no charge. Viewers will not need a Prime Video subscription, while the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed.

End of the broadcast-network rotation

The agreement replaces the system under which ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC took turns airing the ceremony. That rotation had been in place since 1955; the Emmys will now leave traditional broadcast television entirely for the first time.

Television Academy chair Cris Abrego said the deal would allow audiences in more than 200 countries to watch live. He said television had become more global and that the awards should be an event shared worldwide.

Amazon’s first major entertainment broadcast

The deal is Amazon’s first marquee entertainment broadcast after Prime Video built much of its live profile around sports. The platform carries NFL Thursday Night Football, NBA games and UEFA Champions League fixtures.

Amazon’s latest earnings report pointed to higher live viewership, including a peak of 6.5 million viewers for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during its inaugural NBA season.

Forrester research director Mike Proulx said the previous arrangement had fallen out of step with changes in television, as major shows increasingly originate on streaming services. Amazon and the Emmys did not disclose further terms; the BBC contacted them for comment.

The Emmys were first presented in 1949. The awards recognise achievements in acting, writing and television production.