The Emmy Awards are moving to Amazon Prime Video in 2027, in a historic shift for the ceremony broadcast for decades by American television networks

The Emmys will be broadcast for the first time in the ceremony’s history by a streaming platform, Amazon Prime Video, starting in 2027, according to an announcement made Tuesday by the Television Academy. The ceremony will be available to watch free of charge, without a subscription, worldwide, and will continue to take place in September.

The agreement between Amazon and the Academy runs for six years and marks a major change in how one of the entertainment industry’s most important awards ceremonies is broadcast. Until now, the Emmy Awards had been broadcast on a rotating basis by the major American television networks: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

The Academy says the partnership reflects the transformation of the media landscape and its adaptation to the public’s new viewing habits. The decision could nevertheless draw criticism, as Amazon is not only the broadcasting partner but also a major producer and a direct competitor at the Emmy Awards.

Industry observers had anticipated the ceremony’s move to streaming amid declining audiences for traditional television. It remains to be seen whether the shift will help revive public interest. First presented in 1949, the Emmy Awards recognize television programs, actors and professionals in the American entertainment industry.