The Television Academy and Amazon announced the move on October 6, 2026. From 2027, Prime Video will stream the Emmy Awards live in September and make the ceremony free to watch in more than 240 countries and territories, the Academy says. Viewers will not need a paid Prime subscription. The six-year agreement changes the ceremony’s global home, while leaving practical questions about access and coverage for a later guide.

What changes in 2027

The Academy and Amazon announced that Prime Video becomes the exclusive global home for six years, beginning with the 2027 ceremony. “Exclusive global home” applies to the Emmy Awards named in the deal; the announcement does not extend that description to every Academy event or program. The notice confirms the live ceremony, but does not define other coverage. The shift follows an arrangement in which ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC rotated the telecast; 2026 was its final year. This year, the main ceremony aired on NBC and streamed on Peacock. The Academy’s 2026 guide listed CTV and Crave for viewers in Canada.

Does free mean no Prime subscription?

The Academy’s release says the stream will be free, and chair Cris Abrego said viewers would not need a subscription. It does not say whether viewers need a free Amazon account, whether the livestream will appear in every Prime Video app, or whether the sign-in steps will differ by country. “Free” describes the event’s price to viewers; the announcement does not explain the access flow.

There is also a small difference in the release’s reach language. Its overview says more than 240 countries and territories, while Abrego’s quoted comment says more than 200. The Academy has not attached a market-by-market list, so viewers cannot yet check whether a particular territory is included or how local listings will identify the stream. The word “global” sets the broad scope of the agreement, not a detailed regional schedule.

Concept diagram with the words “NO PAID PRIME,” a generic television behind open gates and a crossed-out paid membership card.
Concept illustration of the announced free stream without a paid Prime plan; it does not address account, device or internet requirements.

What does the announcement leave open?

The notice also mentions year-round fan experiences, a separate part of the package alongside the live ceremony. It gives no program titles, calendar or format, so viewers cannot tell what those experiences will include. The six-year deal is more than a one-ceremony switch, but the release does not describe year-by-year scheduling beyond naming 2027 as the first year.

The notice does not specify an exact day in September, captions, audio description, access on connected devices or ad breaks. Device and accessibility details affect whether a free global stream is practical for a particular viewer. It also does not separately describe Creative Arts coverage, red-carpet programming or replays, so those should not be assumed from the platform announcement alone.

Before making a plan, return to the Academy’s updated 2027 guide for the local schedule, device access and any related ceremony coverage. The rights announcement does not supply those practical viewing steps for each territory.