Emmys Move to Amazon Prime Video for 6 Years — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Amazon Prime Video will air the Emmys for six years starting in 2027, free worldwide to more than 200 countries with no subscription required, the Television Academy announced on October 6.
- The move ends the "Wheel Deal" rotation among CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC; the 2026 ceremony aired on NBC hosted by Mariska Hargitay, the final broadcast-network edition.
- The 2026 Emmys drew 6.8 million viewers, a 10% drop from 2025, as Television Academy chair Cris Abrego framed the Amazon deal as offering "unprecedented global reach."
- Prime Video head Mike Hopkins said the platform is "honored" and "trusted as the global home," noting the deal extends Amazon's free-with-ads streaming strategy that already includes Thursday Night Football.
- Amazon lacked a nomination in Outstanding Comedy, Drama, or Limited Series this year, despite past contenders "Fleabag" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and the shift comes weeks after the TV Academy merged with NATAS to unify the Primetime and Daytime Emmys.
- The relocation follows the Oscars' jump from ABC to YouTube, marking the second consecutive major Hollywood awards show to abandon traditional broadcast television.
Why it matters: The Emmys' permanent home on Amazon Prime Video — free across 200+ countries despite no subscription required — hands a tech giant Hollywood's biggest prestige platform for six years, just as the 2026 ceremony drew 6.8 million viewers, a 10% drop from 2025. Amazon now carries both the global spotlight and the burden of reversing a multi-year ratings slide.
Ask SkimNews
