Amazon’s Prime Video may buy the entire Emmy award show, according to insiders speaking to Variety. The Television Academy is reportedly in “advanced talks” to move the Emmys telecast to Amazon Prime Video next year, which would end broadcast television’s 49-year hold on the event. The move follows a similar shift in the film world, where the Oscars are set to leave ABC for YouTube in 2029.
The irony is rich. Amazon’s Prime Video has spent years trying to win Emmy viewership, failing each time. Now it might just buy the whole thing.
The 49-Year Broadcast Run
Broadcast television has held the Emmys for nearly half a century. That streak made the award show a fixture of the fall television schedule. The move to Amazon would break that pattern entirely.
Insiders say the talks are advanced, which suggests the deal is close to being sealed. The Television Academy has not confirmed the arrangement, but the timing points to a decision soon.
A Streaming Shift in Hollywood
The Oscars moving to YouTube in 2029 is the precedent here. A single click on YouTube counts as a view, a metric that rewards engagement rather than the traditional model of counting eyeballs through broadcast ratings.
The Emmys now appear to be following suit, though with a different platform and a different timeline.
What Amazon Gets From the Deal
Amazon Prime Video has struggled to become Emmy’s favorite streamer. Owning the Emmys outright would give Amazon a far larger stage. The deal would put the company front and center for one of the industry’s biggest nights, with a global audience tuning in to see who wins.
The Oscars Precedent
The Oscars moving to YouTube in 2029 is the closest parallel. A single click on YouTube counts as a view, a metric that rewards engagement rather than the traditional model of counting eyeballs through broadcast ratings.
That shift changed the landscape for major awards shows. The Emmys now appear to be following suit, though with a different platform and a different timeline.
The Question of Viewership
The Oscars move to YouTube was framed around engagement metrics. A single click counts as a view, a model that rewards interaction over passive watching.
The Emmys move to Amazon raises the question of how viewership will be measured. Will it follow YouTube’s lead, or will Amazon find its own way?
Key Facts
- 49 years: Broadcast television’s hold on the Emmys
- Next year: The proposed move to Amazon Prime Video
- 2029: Year the Oscars leave ABC for YouTube
- Advanced talks: Insiders’ description of the current state of negotiations
What Comes Next
Variety’s report is based on insider statements, not official confirmation. The Television Academy has not commented publicly on the talks.
If the deal closes, the Emmys would air on Amazon Prime Video next year. That would mark the end of a long run for broadcast television, and the beginning of a new era for the awards show.
The Bottom Line
The Emmys leaving broadcast for Amazon is a bold move. It breaks a 49-year tradition and hands one of television’s biggest nights to a streaming service.
For Amazon, it is a chance to finally own the conversation around Emmy night. For broadcast, it is a reminder that the old model is ending.
The Emmys may follow the Oscars and leave broadcast TV. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the direction is clear.
- The Oscars leave ABC for YouTube in 2029.
- The Emmys move to Amazon Prime Video next year, per reports of advanced talks.
- Broadcast’s 49-year hold on the Emmys ends if the deal closes.
That is the order of events as currently reported. Each step follows the last, and the final one would mark a change in how the industry’s biggest night is presented.
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.