Academy of Country Music Awards Move to Amazon Streamer

Carrie Underwood 54th ACM Awards

The Academy of Country Music Awards is leaving CBS and will air on streamer Amazon beginning in 2022. The 2022 ACM Awards, produced by MRC’s dick clark productions, marks the first time a major awards show has livestreamed exclusively.

According to The Wrap, CBS and Dick Clark Productions could not come to terms. dcp asked for a $22 million deal, 2 million more than the previous $20 million contract with CBS. Like most awards shows, the ACMs have been hemorrhaging viewers, especially during the pandemic. The network has aired the ACMs since 1998, and lost almost half of its viewership since 2018. 

No show date has been set, but it will stream exclusively for Amazon Prime members, which severely limits its audience, one would think. 

“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, Amazon Studios. “Reaching this milestone with our partners at the Academy of Country Music and MRC as the first major awards show to be livestreamed speaks to our dedication and commitment to continue to both entertain and innovate for our audience.”

First held in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards has honored and showcased the biggest names and emerging talent in the industry, and is the longest-running country music awards show in history.

The ACM Awards ratings fell to record lows

This past April, the ACM Awards fell to a record-low 6.3 million viewers, which came just six months after the pandemic-delayed 2020 edition posted a then record-low of 6.8 million viewers, reports The Wrap. In 2019, the ACM Awards drew 9.9 million viewers, which had been the lowest since 2007.

Before 2019, however, the ACM Awards had enjoyed relative stability.

“We are thrilled that the Academy of Country Music Awards are first to take this giant step toward the future of awards shows with Amazon Prime Video. This partnership, which reinforces our position as an innovative, progressive awards show, will deliver the broadest possible audience and, simultaneously, deliver massive value to our artists whose music lives inside this ecosystem, enabling fans to discover and stream music as they watch,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music.

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Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!