The Emmy Awards are headed to a streaming service. Beginning in 2027, the television industry’s premier honors will air exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video under a six-year agreement. The move ends more than seven decades on traditional broadcast networks. It marks the first time the ceremony will have a single, permanent home rather than rotating among the major players.

Prime Video will stream the event live and free to audiences worldwide. No subscription is required. The platform reaches more than 240 countries and territories. Viewers won’t need to be Prime members to tune in. That detail mattered greatly to the Television Academy.

“Television has never been more global, and the Emmys should be a celebration that the world can share,” said Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy. “Now Prime Video audiences in more than 200 countries will be able to experience the Emmys live with no subscription required.” The statement came directly from Amazon’s announcement.

This decision didn’t come lightly. The so-called Wheel Deal had the show cycling through ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC since the mid-1990s. Before that, the Emmys appeared on broadcast outlets as far back as 1955. NBC carried this year’s edition. It drew roughly 6.8 million viewers. That figure sat about 10 percent below the previous year’s total, according to multiple reports.

The decline fits a larger pattern. Awards shows have struggled to hold mass audiences in a fragmented media world. Yet the Emmys still command attention. They celebrate the best in a medium that itself has shifted dramatically toward streaming. Last month’s winners for best drama and comedy series came from streaming originals. The irony sits plain to see.

Amazon isn’t the first streamer to claim a major awards show. Netflix began streaming the SAG Awards in 2024. YouTube will take the Oscars starting in 2029. The Emmys now become the first of the big four — Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, Tonys — to land exclusively on a subscription platform’s service. But with free access guaranteed, the paywall stays down.

Financial terms of the pact remain undisclosed officially. Industry sources point to a yearly license fee around $15 million to $25 million. That would value the six-year deal near $90 million to $150 million. Variety first reported the approximate $15 million annual figure. The sum reflects both the Emmys’ enduring prestige and the softer ad market for live events outside sports.

Abrego emphasized the value of stability. The rotating system forced the Academy to rebuild partnerships every year. “With one partner over six years, we can really learn together and build from year to year together,” he told the Associated Press. Continuity could improve production quality, marketing and year-round programming tied to the Emmys brand.

The deal opens the door for Prime Video to carry additional Television Academy events. Those possibilities include the Hall of Fame ceremony and honors programs. Discussions continue on the Creative Arts Emmys, long edited into a condensed special on FXX. No final decisions have emerged there.

Broadcast networks didn’t lose the show without notice. Abrego thanked them for decades of stewardship. “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. The networks had turned the awards into a fixture of the fall calendar. Now that fixture sits on a streamer.

The broader industry context explains much. In July, streaming accounted for 49 percent of all U.S. television viewing, according to Nielsen data cited by The New York Times. Broadcast television held just 19.5 percent. The numbers have been moving in one direction for years. Awards shows, once reliable draws for older viewers on linear TV, now chase audiences who prefer on-demand options.

Yet the Emmys aren’t disappearing from living rooms entirely. Many will still watch on big screens through smart TVs or streaming devices. The live element remains. September timing stays intact. The show will anchor the television season as before. But the distribution model has changed forever.

Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, welcomed the responsibility. “For nearly eight decades the Emmys have recognized the best storytelling and talent in television, and we’re honored that Prime Video will be trusted as the global home for this celebration over the next six years,” he said in the joint announcement. The streamer has invested heavily in live sports and events to differentiate itself. The Emmys add another tentpole.

Some observers see risk. Traditional broadcast still reaches millions who rarely visit streaming apps. The free access promise aims to blunt that concern. Early reaction on social platforms mixed curiosity with nostalgia. Many noted the symbolic weight. Television’s highest honor no longer calls a broadcast network its home.

The Academy is undergoing other changes too. A potential merger with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences could close by mid-2027, Abrego confirmed to Variety. That consolidation might streamline operations just as the Emmys find their new platform.

Production details for 2027 remain under wraps. Expect Amazon to promote the event aggressively across its services. The company knows how to drive viewership for big nights. Whether total audience grows, shrinks or shifts to younger demographics will take time to measure. Early metrics could come from social engagement and global streams.

This pact signals acceptance of a new reality. The television business no longer revolves around the four major networks the way it once did. Streaming services don’t just make the shows that win Emmys. They now host the party that celebrates them. And they’re doing it on their own terms. Free, global, always on. The gold statue stays the same. Everything around it has changed.

Executives on both sides express optimism. They point to the chance to innovate the broadcast format, expand international reach and create year-round content that keeps the Emmys relevant between ceremonies. Success will depend on execution. But the direction feels clear. The Emmys have left the broadcast dial. They now live on Prime Video.