Prime Video on the verge of nabbing the Emmys
Prime Video on the verge of nabbing the Emmys
The move would end the traditional “wheel deal” that saw the Emmys move from network to network over the years. the years
Television’s biggest awards show could soon be leaving TV… at least in the traditional sense. Since 1949, the Primetime Emmys telecast has been shown on broadcast TV channels, but it appears a streaming service could be about to snatch it up. A new report indicates that Prime Video is aiming to snag the Emmys, which would end the ceremony’s tradition of rotating between the major broadcast networks.
Key Details:
- We’ll take that: Prime Video is in advanced talks with the Television Academy to grab the Emmys telecast.
- End of an era: The move would end the rotation of the Emmys telecast between broadcast networks.
- It’s a trend: Multiple awards broadcasts have migrated off linear TV and onto streamers in recent years.
According to an exclusive report from Variety, the Television Academy is deep in talks with Prime Video about moving the Emmys telecast to the streamer. If Prime Video does secure the rights to the Emmys, it will be the first time in over 75 years that the awards aren’t shown on broadcast TV.
Moving the Emmys to Prime Video would also end a 31-year tradition of rotating the telecast between ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, an arrangement referred to as a “wheel deal.” The most recent wheel deal was struck in 2018, and networks were believed to be paying over $8 million per year in licensing fees.
Variety’s report doesn’t include financial details or any other deal points yet, but the move to Prime Video seems all but assured. The report does indicate that Fox may have been planning to drop out of the wheel rotation, and that the Television Academy has been exploring multiple options for the Emmys broadcast in recent months — including a simulcast across all participating networks.
The shift of the Emmys to Prime Video would be yet another data point in a trend of streamers picking up the rights to major awards ceremonies. The Screen Actors Guild awards moved to Netflix in 2024 before shortening their name to the Actor Awards, and YouTube swiped the Oscars from Disney in a deal that takes hold in 2029.
From awards shows to sports, streaming services are becoming more aggressive about securing the rights to major events that can draw new audiences to their platforms. While the ratings for awards shows have been on a steady decline over the past decade, they still hold a significant amount of cultural cache and can serve as a way to bring consumers especially passionate about entertainment to the respective streamers.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.