The Grammys head to ABC, Disney

Ten-year linear, streaming deal start in 2027

The Grammy Awards has a new home as music’s biggest night is headed to ABC.

The Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday it has obtained the rights to carry the Grammy Awards to air on ABC and streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus. The ten-year deal reunites the awards show with the Alphabet network after spending 51 years at CBS. 

“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 Dana Walden, the co-chairperson of Disney Entertainment. “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.

Disney is reportedly paying $500 million over the deal’s life, proving the value of those live events. In 2027, ABC will also have the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards in the same time frame. While the Grammys have been regarded as a joke in some circles, they still draw huge ratings. 

“We are completely thrilled to be bringing The Grammys and other new music programming to the Disney ecosystem,” added Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of The Recording Academy. “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. 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.

In 1973, ABC lost the Grammys to CBS and asked Dick Clark to create another music awards show as a replacement. This resulted in the American Music Awards, which aired every January until some 20 years ago when it was moved to November to take advantage of sweeps. Earlier this year, CBS acquired the rights to the AMAs, ending a five-decade run at ABC. 

The AMAs and the Grammys will co-exist on CBS for the next three years, with CBS already airing an AMA special earlier this month. 

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