The Academy of Country Music Awards were streamed on Prime Video on Monday night, and it wasn’t only country fans that did so. Since the broadcast networks are less likely to spend a lot of money on these shows with nearly all of them experiencing declining ratings, it is safe to assume that many producers and executives associated with other awards shows were among the viewers, wondering if they, too, might someday land an exclusive deal with a wealthy streaming service.
Kudocasts that are only streamed, rather than televised, maybe the way of the future. The CEO of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, who is shown with Dolly Parton above, predicts that “our rivals will be doing more of it as well.” But she adds that “with all the cross-verticals that are within our firm, make it a perfect fit for this type of stuff,” Amazon in particular is “a great fit.”
The firm is unlikely to sign up programmes that can’t utilise its synergies to encourage more in-house streaming or purchase. However, don’t expect Amazon to be a sugar daddy for all awards shows that may come knocking.
That could be crucial because lower-rated programmes, such as the Tony Awards, could one day look for a platform that will invest the kind of money necessary to produce a programme of that calibre without necessarily expecting to receive a certain share to justify its network’s continued existence each year.
Also Read: Katrina Kaif wears denim as she returns to Mumbai after a trip to New York with Vicky Kaushal