Disney’s $500 million lures Grammys away from CBS after 54-year run

Starting in 2027, the Grammys will air on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu, ending a 54-year partnership between the music awards and CBS.

Entertainment titan Disney will pay over $500 million for the privilege, according to reports.

The deal between Disney and the Recording Academy that hands out the awards will last 10 years, the two parties announced Wednesday. In addition to the Grammy Awards broadcast rights, the Recording Academy will produce Grammy-branded specials and other content to be broadcast on Disney’s platforms.

The $500 million will last the lifetime of the deal, unnamed sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. CBS was unable to ink a new deal with the Recording Academy during an exclusive negotiation window, leading Disney to swoop in and nab the Grammys’ broadcast rights.

Disney already holds the broadcasting rights to the Country Music Association Awards, which it has held since 2006, and to the Oscars, which ABC has held since 1976; Disney acquired ABC in 1996. The Grammys, meanwhile, have been airing on CBS since 1973.

“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,” Dana Walden, Disney Entertainment co-chair, said in the joint release.

Nominations for the 2025 Grammys will be announced next week, according to The Associated Press, and the 2025 show will air on CBS on Feb. 2.

CBS has also added to its arsenal the American Music Awards, a show that decides nominations based on commercial metrics like sales and airplay and lets fans decide the winners via a poll. A 50th anniversary special for the show featuring archive highlights from past shows, original performances and interviews aired on CBS on Oct. 6.

The AMAs will return to the airwaves in May after airing on ABC from 1974 through 2022.