The Emmy Awards will be broadcast live worldwide via Amazon Prime Video from 2027. The Television Academy has signed an exclusive six-year agreement for this, bringing an end to decades of rotation between American broadcasters.
The agreement covers more than 240 countries and territories. According to Amazon and the Television Academy, the broadcast will remain free to watch; viewers will not need a Prime subscription. The first ceremony under the new contract is scheduled for September 2027.
Since 1955, the Primetime Emmy Awards have been broadcast by one of the major American networks. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC have alternated over recent decades under a system known in the industry as the Wheel Deal. With the new agreement, the ceremony will have a fixed global streaming partner for the first time.
The Television Academy says continuity was an important reason for choosing a single partner. According to the organisation, a fixed provider can build on the previous broadcast each year and make the event more recognisable worldwide. Amazon, meanwhile, gains a prominent live event centred on the series and creators receiving awards on its platform and those of competitors.
The move fits into a broader shift within the entertainment sector. Streaming services are now important producers and distributors of television series, while traditional broadcasters are struggling to retain large live audiences. The Emmys themselves remain an influential measure of prestige in the television industry.
For Dutch viewers, the main change is where the ceremony can be found. The announcement promises free access, but the broadcast is moving to the infrastructure and interface of a commercial technology company. Exactly what free access will look like in each country, and which additional programmes Amazon will produce around the ceremony, has not yet been fully worked out.
The agreement says nothing about the awards' editorial independence. The Television Academy remains responsible for the organisation and the nominations. The new distribution deal could, however, affect promotion, audience reach and the way the Emmys present themselves to viewers who watch traditional television less often.