The Emmys are leaving broadcast television for Amazon's Prime Video - and the show will still be free to watch.
Amazon and the Emmys reached a six-year deal moving the awards show off its traditional broadcast home, starting with the 2027 ceremony, which airs next September. Despite shifting to a streaming service, Amazon says the broadcast will be free to view for audiences worldwide, and you won't need a Prime subscription to watch. Deadline reports Amazon is paying roughly $20 million to $25 million a year for the rights, putting the total deal north of $120 million over six years. The announcement also credited past broadcast partners for their stewardship of the show, suggesting this is an amicable handoff rather than a hostile takeover.
This is another broadcast institution ceding ground to streaming, joining sports leagues and other award shows that have already made similar jumps. Keeping the stream free, rather than walling it behind a Prime subscription, suggests Amazon wants the audience and the cultural cachet more than subscriber conversions - for now.
Big bets like this tend to come with strings attached eventually. Don't be surprised if that free stream grows a Prime login requirement by year three.