Emmys Leave Broadcast TV for Free Prime Video Streaming

The Emmy Awards are leaving broadcast television for Amazon’s Prime Video in 2027, ending a network tradition that dates to 1955. Under a six-year deal with the Television Academy, viewers will be able to stream the ceremony live for free. They won’t need a Prime subscription. The agreement, announced Oct. 6, replaces the yearly rotation among ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. The 2027 ceremony will take place in September, with access in more than 240 countries and territories, according to Amazon. The move comes as Hollywood’s awards shows struggle to hold their audiences. The Emmys once drew more than 20 million viewers. That figure now sits around 7 million, according to reporting from The Associated Press. A larger global audience gives Amazon a chance to reverse that slide, but moving the show won’t guarantee more viewers. Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego said the deal will give the awards a wider reach without putting the ceremony behind a subscription fee. “Now with Prime Video, audiences in more than 200 countries will be able to experience the Emmys live, with no subscription required,” Abrego said in Amazon’s announcement. He also said that working with a different network each...