Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
CMA Extends Disney Deal Through 2032, Bringing the Awards to Disney+ Live
The CMA Awards will stream live on Disney+ and ABC as the Country Music Association extends its Disney partnership through 2032.
Beginning this year, the CMA Awards will be simulcast live on ABC and Disney+, a sign that the Country Music Association is pushing its biggest broadcast further into the streaming era without cutting loose the network home it has kept since 2006.
The CMA and Disney have extended their agreement through 2032, covering not just the CMA Awards but also CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas. The six-year deal deepens a relationship that has already stretched across two decades with ABC and adds more room for digital and streaming distribution, a shift that feels less like a simple rights update than a careful repositioning of one of country music’s most durable TV institutions.
Sarah Trahern attends the 59th Annual CMA Awards at Music City Center on November 19, 2025 in Nashville.
Emma McIntyre, Getty Images
The move means the 60th annual CMA Awards, airing Wednesday, Nov. 18, will stream live on Disney+ for the first time while continuing to broadcast on ABC. Last year’s telecast went live coast-to-coast on ABC, with streaming arriving the following day on Hulu. This new setup pushes the show further into the same simultaneous release logic that has reshaped so much of television, while keeping the linear broadcast intact for the audience the CMA has spent decades cultivating.
ABC has carried the CMA Awards since 2006, and by 2030 the show will have spent longer there than on any previous network partner. That matters in the context of the awards’ own history: the first CMA Awards in 1967 were not televised at all, then NBC aired the show from 1968 to 1971 and CBS from 1972 to 2005. In other words, this is not just another contract extension. It is the continuation of a long, gradual consolidation around one broadcast home.
“For two decades, Disney has been CMA’s partner in celebrating excellence in country music and bringing its artists and storytelling to audiences around the world,” Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO, said in a statement. “Extending our collaboration with Disney and expanding the show to livestream on Disney+ marks an exciting next step for CMA, allowing us to reach new audiences while continuing our role in elevating and shaping the genre. As I prepare to retire at the end of the year, ensuring CMA is strongly positioned for the future has remained one of my highest priorities, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together. As we approach the 60th annual CMA Awards this fall and a new chapter for CMA Fest in the new stadium in 2027, I’m excited for what’s ahead for both CMA and country music.”
Debra OConnell, chairman of Disney Entertainment Television, framed the deal as both continuity and expansion. “We’re grateful to Sarah Trahern and our incredible partners at the Country Music Association and are excited to continue hosting the most iconic night in Country Music for years to come,” she said. “Disney has long been the home for the very best in live entertainment and now, with the addition of Disney+, we are expanding the show’s reach like never before.”
