Streaming Milestone: Academy Of Country Music Awards Leaving CBS For Amazon Prime Video

Amazon.com AMZN has snagged the 2022 telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards for exclusive broadcast on its Amazon Prime Video streaming service.

What Happened: This marks the first time that a major prime-time entertainment awards show will be seen exclusively via streaming, according to a Deadline report. In May, ViacomCBS VIAC announced the Tony Awards ceremony scheduled for Sept. 26 would mostly be seen on the Paramount+ streaming service, with the major musical production numbers and the Best Musical, Best Play and Best Revival of a Play awards presentations reserved for a CBS telecast.

The Academy of Country Music Awards has been telecast on CBS since 1998, but the network is focusing on the rival CMT Music Awards that is under the ViacomCBS corporate umbrella. No date has been set for the Amazon presentation.

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What Else Is Happening: Entertainment award shows have experienced a dramatic evaporation of television audience interest over the past year. The Academy Awards telecast in April recorded its lowest viewership audience since data tracking began in 1974, while March’s Grammy Awards, February's Golden Globes Awards and last September's Emmy Awards also recorded the smallest audience numbers in their respective histories.

The 2021 three-hour telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony in April attracted 6.1 million viewers and generated a 0.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, making it the least-watched and lowest-rated presentation for this awards show in its history. Nonetheless, Amazon believes it has a winner with this show.

“We’re excited to continue to expand our content offerings for Prime Video customers by being the exclusive home for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022 and honoring the best in country music,” said Vernon Sanders, co-head of television at Amazon Studios.

Photo: Country music singer Keith Urban with an Academy of Country Music award. Photo courtesy of CBS.