Grammys Find New Broadcasting Home With Disney
By Movieguide® Contributor
The Grammys will move to a new broadcasting home after 50 years on CBS.
The famed music awards show will air on Disney beginning in 2027. Variety reported, “The company said it will simulcast the kudosfest across ABC, Hulu and Disney+ as part of a 10-year deal that will make it the home of the event through 2036 and will include a series of music specials produced by The Recording Academy, the backer of the spectacle.” Disney will also acquire the Oscars and the Superbowl.
“As The Walt Disney Company combines forces with The Recording Academy to open this exciting new chapter in the history of the Grammys, we do so with pride and gratitude,” said Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden. “Live events have never been more important to our culture and industry, and we just acquired one of the crown jewels, adding to our portfolio of world-class programming across all genres.”
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. also expressed his excitement about the Disney partnership.
“We are grateful to our long-standing partners at CBS and now honored to be joining with Disney, an iconic company where creators have always been at the forefront,” he said. “This partnership represents another important milestone in the Academy’s transformation and growth and strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission of uplifting and serving music people around the world.”
Interest in award shows have been on the decline in recent years. Variety reported, “Nearly 40 million people watched the Grammys on CBS in 2013, but this year’s event collected just 16.9 million viewers. Even so, that figure marked a jump of 34% from 2023’s average of 12.4 million.”
This makes sense as many Americans see awards shows as pointless.
In 2022, “A poll conducted by OnePoll found that 42% of Americans see award shows as ‘meaningless.’ Out of the 1,000 people polled, just 34% were planning on watching the Emmy Awards ceremony at all. In comparison, 61% said that they had watched the Emmys “sometimes” in the past. Even those who profess to watching lots of TV — 15 or more hours a week — didn’t want to watch the awards show, with 53% saying they had no interest in watching the Emmys.”
READ MORE: A RECENT POLL FINDS 42% OF AMERICANS SEE AWARD SHOWS AS ‘MEANINGLESS’
Maybe Disney’s involvement will turn things around for awards shows.
