For better or worse, the Grammys never fail to get people talking—this year’s show was no exception. Held at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 2nd, the ceremony saw Beyoncé leave three awards richer via her claim-to-country album, Cowboy Carter. Doechii received her long-overdue flowers, taking home Best Rap Album after delivering a show-stopping performance of several songs from Alligator Bites Never Heal. In true BRAT form, Charli XCX closed the show with a debaucherous panty party.
This year’s ceremony also arrives on the heels of a major shift in how the Grammys will be broadcast. The Recording Academy recently announced that beginning in 2027, the show will move away from traditional cable television and instead be streamed on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu. As live events increasingly migrate to digital platforms, this transition signals the Grammys’ attempt to keep up with changing viewing habits.
As traditional cable TV viewership continues to decline, it’s no surprise that the Grammys are shifting toward alternative broadcasting options. According to Forbes, by September 2024, approximately 5.7 million cable subscribers had dropped their pay-TV services, highlighting the growing preference for streaming over traditional television.
Resultingly, award shows have faced significant challenges in retaining a consistent audience over the past several years. Even the most prestigious ceremonies, like the Oscars and the Golden Globes, are struggling to meet the numbers amassed just five or six years ago. As reported in a Nielsen survey, in 2024, the Academy Awards attracted 19.5 million viewers; a notable decrease from the 43.7 million watching just ten years prior. The Grammys, too, have felt this shift—drawing 15.4 million viewers this year, a 10% decline from the previous year and one of the lowest ratings for the ceremony since 2000.
This year, all three major award shows have embraced streaming as part of their broadcast strategy. While both the Golden Globes and the Grammys aired live on CBS, they were also available on Hulu and Paramount+ for viewers with Live TV add-ons. Meanwhile, the Oscars will be streamed for the first time, also choosing Hulu as a digital platform. This shift raises the question of whether streaming will help these ceremonies regain their audience reach or if the decline in viewership is an irreversible trend.
Regardless, the Grammys are hopeful that their shift to Disney’s platforms will reinvigorate engagement and align with changing viewer habits. The 10-year deal, beginning in 2027, will see the ceremony simulcast on ABC, Hulu, and Disney+, making it more accessible across multiple formats. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. called the transition “an important milestone in the Academy’s transformation and growth,” while Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden emphasized the significance of live events in today’s media landscape.
Along with the annual ceremony, the partnership includes additional Grammy-branded specials, signaling an effort to expand the awards’ presence beyond a single night. Whether this move will successfully boost viewership or further fragment audiences remains to be seen, but it marks a significant departure from traditional broadcast strategies.
