76th Emmy Awards Ratings Reach 6.87 Million Viewers, Highest Since 2021

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards drew an impressive average of 6.87 million viewers on ABC this past Sunday, marking a significant rebound for the ceremony. This audience figure is the best seen since 2021, according to Nielsen ratings.

Held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, this year’s ceremony was the Television Academy’s second event in just nine months. The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards took place in January after being postponed due to last year’s dual writers’ and actors’ strikes. That telecast on Fox garnered only 4.3 million viewers, setting an all-time low for the awards.

This year’s event stood in contrast to that bleak performance, although the scheduling did present its own challenges. With the Emmys landing in the same month as the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Choice Awards, viewers may have felt inundated with award shows. Compounding the issue was the fact that the telecast faced competition from an NFL playoff game.

The last Emmy ceremony held in its regular September schedule, in 2022, had also disappointed with just 5.9 million viewers.

Eugene Levy and his son Dan Levy, known for their roles in the beloved Emmy-winning comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” hosted the Sunday night ceremony. A surprise win for the night came from Max’s comedy “Hacks,” which took home the award for Best Comedy, beating out the favorite, FX’s highly praised restaurant series “The Bear.” Despite not winning Best Comedy, “The Bear” achieved a remarkable feat by winning 11 awards, surpassing the record for a comedy series it had established last year.

FX also made history, with “Shogun,” a drama set in 17th-century feudal Japan, capturing 18 awards—an unprecedented achievement for any program in a single year.

The Emmy Awards have faced declining ratings in recent years, spurred by a shift in audience habits as more viewers turn to streaming platforms that offer a vast array of viewing options. This new landscape has made it increasingly difficult to create programs that can attract a large and unified audience. Broadcast network shows, which take turns airing the ceremony, often see little recognition from the Television Academy, outside of late-night programs.

While the Emmy Awards have often celebrated highbrow content from streaming platforms and premium cable networks like HBO, they still include segments that honor television’s more recognizable classics.

Despite the challenges, the awards continue to serve as a crucial promotional tool for networks and streaming services aiming to capture audience interest in a competitive market.

This year’s ceremony saw Walt Disney Co. emerging as the biggest winner of the night, amassing 60 awards across its various brands. This success was significantly bolstered by FX’s impressive showings, which included accolades presented during the Creative Arts Emmys in the days leading up to the main event.

Additionally, Disney+’s documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” featuring stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, also received considerable recognition.

Netflix’s limited series “Baby Reindeer” walked away with awards for Best Limited Series, along with honors for its creator, Richard Gadd, who won for both writing and acting. This made “Baby Reindeer” the third most awarded series of the season, with a total of six accolades.

With these accomplishments, the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards demonstrated a positive shift for the prestigious event, hoping to regain its prominence in an ever-evolving television landscape.

Source: Los Angeles Times