4.3 million watched the Emmys, a new low
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The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was hosted by comedian Anthony Anderson.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
The Emmy Awards ratings collapse continues.
An audience of 4.3 million people watched the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on American broadcaster Fox on Jan 15 night, the lowest viewership since records have been kept, according to preliminary Nielsen data.
In 2022, the Emmys garnered 5.9 million viewers, the previous low.
The ratings have put the Emmys dangerously close to the Tony Awards. The latter, which celebrates excellence in live Broadway theatre has, for decades, drawn a significantly smaller audience. But in June, 4.3 million people tuned in to the Tonys, an increase from its previous ceremony.
The final Emmy numbers, which will be released on Jan 17, will probably increase somewhat from the preliminary figures.
The Emmys had a lot going against it. The ceremony had been delayed by four months because of the screenwriter and actor strikes in 2023, the most significant postponement for the event in more than two decades.
Indeed, the competition was stiff. The Emmys went head-to-head against a Monday night football play-off game and the Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest of the 2024 United States presidential election.
The football game, which featured the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drew more than 28 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Roughly 4.7 million people tuned in to the three big cable news networks between 8 and 11pm for Iowa returns, according to the data.
The Emmys also faced competition from other award shows. All the big winners – Succession, The Bear and Beef – had been honoured at the Golden Globes on Jan 8 and the Critics Choice Awards on Jan 14.
The Emmys even had trouble holding its own against a rerun of a network television show. A repeat of crime drama NCIS on CBS at 8pm – which had the benefit of a lead-in from another play-off football game – drew 4.9 million viewers, according to the preliminary Nielsen data.
Most other major award shows – despite lower audience figures compared with a decade ago – have seen ratings rebound recently.
Oscar ratings have ticked up two years in a row. So have the Grammys. Even the scandal-plagued Golden Globes saw a big increase in audience numbers.
The Emmys telecast, hosted by comedian Anthony Anderson, cannot be blamed. The ceremony received generally warm reviews, with critics appreciating the number of cast reunions – including Cheers (1982 to 1993), Ally McBeal (1997 to 2002) and Grey’s Anatomy (2005 to present) – that were staged in honour of the 75th anniversary of the awards. NYTIMES
