KEY FACTS
Monday’s 75th Emmy Awards aired on Fox and scored a 0.85 rating among adults 18-49, according to Variety, which cited preliminary data from Nielsen, representing the lowest viewership total on record.
The awards show ran at the same time as an NFL playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as the Iowa caucuses.
The show created buzz on social media and was a highlight for Fox despite the poor ratings, becoming the network’s most-watched Monday unscripted telecast in more than eight-and-a-half years.
This year’s installment of the Emmys was delayed by four months due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, bucking its yearly tradition of airing in August or September.
Cast and producers behind “Succession,” “The Bear” and “Beef” dominated several categories, with “The Bear” bringing in the most Emmy wins of any show with 10 total.
KEY BACKGROUND
The drop in Emmy viewership this year may also be due to awards show fatigue, the Los Angeles Times reported, noting the quick turnaround from the Golden Globe Awards’ Jan. 7 broadcast and the Critics Choice Awards’ Sunday broadcast, which meant many of the same award winners from the Emmys had already made repeated appearances on stage days before. The Emmys broadcast on Fox meant cable-cutters had to flock to either YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. Both platforms have monthly subscription costs totalling more than $70. Most other prestige award shows have recorded favorable rebounds in recent years including the Oscars, Grammys and last week’s Golden Globes, which had a 50% jump in viewership from last year and raked in 9.4 million viewers.
FURTHER READING
‘The Bear,’ ‘Beef’ Lead 2023 Emmy Wins, HBO Nabs Most Wins by Network (Variety)