Disney, CMA Extend Deal Through 2032; Awards Stream on Disney+
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- Disney and the Country Music Association extended their partnership through 2032, building on a 20-year collaboration and covering the CMA Awards, CMA Fest, and CMA Country Christmas.
- The 60th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026 will stream live on Disney+ alongside its traditional ABC broadcast, marking the first time the ceremony has appeared on the platform.
- ABC's agreement with CMA was set to expire this year, making the six-year extension a renewal rather than a renegotiation of a still-active contract.
- CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, who is retiring at year's end, framed the deal as part of her effort to position the organization for the future, while Disney Entertainment Television chairman Debra OConnell called Disney+ an expansion of the show's reach.
- CMA Fest is moving to a new stadium in 2027, a detail Trahern flagged as part of the organization's next chapter.
- The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006 and were established in 1967, making them the longest-running annual music awards program on broadcast television and a consistent Top 10 primetime special.
Why it matters: The renewal locks in ABC as country music's awards-show home for six more years and gives Disney+ its first live country music awards ceremony, expanding the franchise's audience beyond traditional broadcast. For retiring CEO Sarah Trahern, the deal — which also includes a new stadium for CMA Fest in 2027 — caps her tenure with a long-term platform commitment rather than a year-to-year holdover.
