July 14--The TV Academy is widening its digital connections.
The organization, which presents the Primetime Emmy Awards, announced Tuesday that it is doing away with DVD screeners and teaming up with Google Chromecast to make shows available to stream to its 18,500 voting members.
As part of the multi-year deal, Emmy voters will now stream nominated shows on a members-only streaming app on the Chromecast devices. Chromecast, a USB drive device, plugs into any tablet, smartphone or computer.
"This multi-year commitment with Google will provide a superior experience for viewing Emmy-nominated content," said TV Academy President and Chief Operating Officer Maury McIntyre. "It also gives our members a great way to view programming across their devices year-round."
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The new order of operations comes the same year the TV Academy has implemented online voting.
The decision to move toward a streaming sensibility was in response to this year's rules revisions, which opened up the final round of voting to the full membership body. (Previously, final voting was done by blue-ribbon panels, composed of member volunteers who were mailed DVD screeners.)
Might the stacks upon stacks of DVDs be a thing of the past for TV Academy members? Eh, not quite. The first round of the Emmy-voting process will likely still consist of studios sending out elaborate packages outfitted with DVD screeners so their shows will be considered.
The academy's online approach is an attempt to curb some of the volume of DVD screeners -- and the accompanying packaging -- sent out every year. It's a plan of attack some TV networks have steadily adopted in their dealings with the press -- making screeners for review available via their press sites in place of hard copies.
Chromecast devices are currently in the process of being mailed to TV Academy members. Nominations for this year's Emmy Awards will be announced Thursday.
