Emmys face major TV shake up as Amazon Prime Video emerges as potential new home
The Television Academy is weighing a single platform deal after years of rotating between major networks
The Emmys could be heading for a major broadcasting change, with Amazon Prime Video reportedly in advanced talks to become the annual ceremony’s new home.
According to Variety, the Television Academy is negotiating with Amazon over a potential licensing arrangement that would move the Emmy telecast away from broadcast television. No final agreement has been confirmed, and details including the potential licence fee remain unresolved.
The possible move would mark a significant change for the ceremony, which has operated under a rotating broadcast arrangement for decades. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC have traditionally shared the Emmys through what became known as the broadcast wheel deal. NBC and Peacock carried the 78th Emmys on September 14, marking the final ceremony under the latest eight year agreement signed in 2018.
The Television Academy has reportedly considered several options while negotiating a new home for the ceremony. Those discussions have included continuing the rotating arrangement, potentially with fewer broadcast networks involved, as well as a simultaneous broadcast across multiple television and streaming outlets.
Amazon Prime Video would give the Emmys another major awards show connection to streaming. The platform already carries the Academy of Country Music Awards, while the SAG Awards moved to Netflix. The Oscars are also scheduled to begin streaming globally on YouTube in 2029.
Television Academy chair Cris Abrego previously confirmed that discussions over the next television deal were continuing, although he did not identify a preferred platform.
The financial terms are also expected to play a significant role. Under the previous arrangement, the networks were believed to have paid slightly above $8m annually for the Emmy telecast. A potential Amazon agreement could therefore establish a new model for how the ceremony is financed and promoted.
The change comes as traditional awards shows increasingly explore streaming platforms. For the Emmys, however, the negotiations remain ongoing, meaning Amazon Prime Video has not yet officially been confirmed as the ceremony’s future home.
