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Amazon Secures Six-Year Global Deal for Emmys Worth Over $20M Annually
Confirmed
In Short: Amazon has secured a six-year global deal with the Television Academy to stream the annual Primetime Emmy Awards, worth over $20 million annually, starting in 2027.
Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, told Deadline that the deal aims to create a “global event” on Prime Video.
The deal marks the first time the Emmys will leave broadcast television since the ceremony began in 1949.
Hopkins said, “We stand up and clap at the Emmys when our partners win,” emphasizing the importance of the awards for the streaming service.
The global nature of the deal is significant, particularly given the fee increase the TV Academy has secured.
Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy, said the deal was not just about renewing the broadcast wheel but about creating a more relevant and innovative awards show.
Abrego added, “The amount of categories, the type of categories, the length of the show, the hope is that we have an awards show that’s as relevant and interesting and innovative as the shows that are winning the Emmys.”
The deal ends the 31-year-old broadcast wheel, which saw ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC rotate the rights each year.
Abrego said, “We timed it perfectly so that all our deals came up collectively and it would be free and clear.”
Hopkins said, “We wouldn’t normally start having these conversations probably until May,” but he wants to start having those conversations “in the next few days.”
The Television Academy is also considering merging with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which could happen by mid-2027.
Abrego imagines partnering with Prime on creating a “road to the Emmys,” saying, “We really talk a lot about just not making this a one-night event.”
What's confirmed
- The Emmy Awards is leaving US broadcast for the first time since it began 1949 Prime Video has struck a six-year deal to become the exclusive global platform for the Emmy Awards, a pact that sees the TV awards ceremony leave US broadcast for the first time since it began in 1949.
- “Our broadcast partners have been tremendous stewards of the Emmys for many years, helping to build them into the cultural institution they are today. Having a dedicated home with Prime Video allows us to build on that legacy with unprecedented global reach and a broader commitment to the Television Academy and our mission throughout the year,” said Television Academy chair Cris Abrego.
What's still developing
- The partnership gives Prime Video the right to stream the annual television ceremony for the next six years and is thought to be worth north of $120M in total.
- Once that’s done, NATAS’ awards shows (particularly the Daytime Emmys) could also be a part of the Prime Video mix — although that would require a separate license fee negotiation.
- As Variety exclusively reported in September, Prime Video became the leading Emmys suitor after it appeared likely that the “wheel deal” wouldn’t continue, with at least one of the networks (believed to be Fox) dropping out.
- Although the TV Academy looked into continuing the wheel, including adding some new partners to the mix, Abrego said the org was also eager to explore other options. (A multi-network and streamer simulcast/roadblock idea that had been championed by Variety was indeed considered, Abrego previously said, but logistical complexities ultimately doomed that scenario.) “The wheel deal was incredibly successful for the Academy and the Emmys for a long time,” Abrego said.
- Although there was plenty of industry speculation that the TV Academy was having difficulty finding a new home as an alternative to the “wheel deal,” Abrego said the Academy had “a lot of choices” when it came to potential new homes, including some independent suitors that he declined to name.
- Hopkins said his team was keeping tabs on the Emmy renewal discussions, and started discussing whether they wanted to make a bid.
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- The pact, which begins in 2027, also brings and end to the “wheel deal” model in the US, whereby the ceremony rotated between broadcasters ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
- The streamer and Television Academy will develop additional experiences and programming aimed at driving engagement with the Emmys and television more broadly, said Amazon.
- While Amazon did not disclose financial terms, reports suggest the deal is worth around US$15m annually.