Less than a week out from 2026 Emmy nominations, a handful of television executives are thinking about the longer-term future of the awards ceremony.

The rights for the Primetime Emmys expire after this year’s event, which will take place on September 14 and air on NBC, and the Television Academy is currently in the middle of talks to figure out where the starry shindig will air from 2017 onwards.

The Academy, led by chairman Cris Abrego, who is also boss of Land of Women producer Hyphenate Media Group, has held discussions with a number of broadcast networks and streamers about the rights. There’s the possibility of one network or platform taking the rights or continuing to go with the wheel approach, where four networks share the rights and air it once every four years, or possibly even a larger wheel featuring some streamers.

But Deadline understands that, in recent weeks, a more intriguing possibility has been discussed: a simulcast approach that would see a number of broadcasters and streamers all airing the event at the same time.

The idea would see all of those involved share the cost of the rights, which are thought to be in the region of around $10M per year (the current deal is thought to be just over $8M per year), and split the cost of production – Jesse Collins Entertainment has produced the event for the last three years and will do so again this year – with one company designated to sell the advertising each year.

The TV Academy would relish the idea of a simulcast, but while it’s one option, other sources believe that the likeliest outcome is that the organization strikes another four-year deal with the broadcast networks.

Sources have told Deadline that all of the traditional broadcast networks are taking a cautious approach given that it’s no longer a major revenue generator. Streamers including Netflix have downplayed their interest in taking on solo ownership of the Emmys and the fact hat none of these companies has snapped up the rights so far is telling. YouTube, for instance, snatched the rights to the Oscars from Disney’s ABC, beginning in 2029, at the end of last year.

The streamers are also likely less interested in a simulcast approach. Having said that, they certainly care about statues and having their talent represented andif they know that they don’t need to stream the Emmys to dominate the Emmys, as shown by recent win totals for the likes of HBO Max, Netflix and Apple.

Many have wondered why the broadcast networks keep paying to host the Emmys as the number of awards that they win continues to dwindle; last year, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC accounted for 99 nominations, down from 115 last year, and CBS and NBC only scored one statue each at the Primetime Emmys, while ABC and Fox were shut out compared to nine wins on the night for HBO, seven for Apple and six for Netflix.

Yes, there is still associated glamor for hosting the biggest night on the TV calendar and these companies and their sister studios can invite talent to host, attend and hand out awards, but there’s a frustration that the streamers, which have been increasingly winning the top categories, aren’t paying their way.

The wheel approach began in 1995 with Jason Alexander and Cybill Shepherd hosting the ceremony, which aired on Fox with ABC, CBS and NBC airing subsequent years. However, this came after the TV Academy ended a four-year deal with ABC (following six years on Fox) early when rivals vowed to boycott the ceremony. It made sense at the time given that the Emmys regularly attracted more than 20M viewers, before ratings dwindled to single digits starting in 2019.

Deadline understands that there’s another meeting between Abrego and execs towards the middle of July where some of these options will be further scrutinized.

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