Sports media geeks rejoice! The Sports Emmys will now stream live on YouTube.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the entity which operates the Emmy Awards, has reportedly struck a deal with YouTube to stream the upcoming Sports Emmys, according to Ted Johnson in Deadline. The Sports Emmys are set to be presented on May 26 live on the NATAS YouTube Channel, with the News and Documentary Emmys slated to air the following two nights, respectively.
The move follows a deal between The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and YouTube, which will see the Oscars move its broadcast rights to YouTube beginning in 2029. Perhaps these smaller awards shows can provide a bit of a trial run for YouTube as it ramps up for its first Oscars presentation in three years.
Per Deadline, presenters at next week’s Sports Emmys will include Ian Eagle, Rich Eisen, Dwight Howard, Brian Kenny, Pedro Martinez, Colleen Wolfe, Nick Wright, Andrés Cantor, and Pablo Torre. Comedian Roy Wood Jr. will return in a hosting capacity. Former ESPN CEO Steve Bornstein is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the event.
The Sports Emmys are not something that have traditionally garnered a lot of attention; certainly not on the level that the flagship Emmy Awards attract. However, the recognition is still something that many within the sports media business value. Some networks might even value the recognition a little too much.
Jokes aside, it’s great that the presentation will now be widely available for sports fans who might be interested in seeing which shows are being honored.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.