The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) are ending their four-network rotation for the annual Prime-Time Emmy Awards in favor of a multi-year deal with Amazon’s Prime Video, starting next year.
Prime Video will carry the ceremony live each September through 2032, with the event available to viewers in more than 200 countries without requiring a paid subscription. The deal ends the rotation that involved the participation of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC since the mid-1990s.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but some reports indicated Amazon will spend between $20 million and $25 million per year for the rights to the program. A subscription to Prime Video will not be required to view the Emmy Awards.
The new agreement also consolidates international distribution under one platform, replacing a system in which the ceremony was carried by different broadcasters and streaming services across global markets.
NATAS Chairman Cris Abrego said the organization wanted to move away from the rotating broadcast arrangement and establish a consistent distribution partner capable of supporting the ceremony’s development over multiple years.
“Television has never been more global, and the Emmys should be a celebration that the world can share,” Abrego said in a statement.
The agreement expands Amazon’s portfolio of live events while providing an opportunity to promote programming distributed through Prime Video and its marketplace of third-party streaming subscriptions. Mike Hopkins, the Head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said the company intends to expand the ceremony’s international audience and attract younger viewers who increasingly favor streaming over traditional television.
Amazon also expects to explore new production approaches and promotional opportunities intended to maintain audience interest throughout the year. The agreement also creates opportunities for the Television Academy to reconsider the structure and presentation of the Emmys.
Abrego said discussions could include the number and types of award categories, the length of the ceremony and changes intended to make the broadcast more relevant to contemporary television audiences. Those discussions are expected to begin substantially earlier than under the previous broadcast arrangement, when the Academy worked with a different television network each year.
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