The Primetime Emmy Awards' 2019 broadcast ratings sink to an all-time low. Sans an official host for the star-studded event, this year’s Emmy awards aired September 22 on Fox. Held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, the event boasted mainstream talent from the small screen’s biggest titles including, Game of Thrones, Fleabag, Chernobyl, Better Call Saul, Veep, and many more.
Sunday's Emmy extravaganza displayed the evolving competition between streaming services and cable networks, with each platform vying for Emmy gold in the top categories. Nominated for a staggering 14 awards, HBO’s juggernaut Game of Thrones was expected to win big for the show’s farewell season. Covering a wide range of genres, the telecast featured unexpected turns. One surprising win of the evening was Fleabag creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge snagging Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series over Veep star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Overall, the ceremony had its highs and lows, including Homer Simpson being introduced as the host, Patricia Arquette's riveting acceptance speech, and Thomas Lennon’s clunky commentary. The lowest point of the Emmys, however, turned out to be the ratings.
According to The Wrap, the Emmy Awards' viewership plummeted to an all-time low. Fox’s broadcast on Sunday night mustered up a meager 5.8 - under 7 million viewers - household Nielsen rating. Last year, the celebration of television garnered 7.4 on the viewership scale. Declining 22% from the previous year, the broadcasts' slide is the biggest decline among the televised awards shows for 2019.
Droves of viewers may not have flocked to watch television’s elite hold up their gold statues in triumph, but they were tuning in elsewhere. NBC’s Sunday Night Football claimed the Sunday night rating’s throne with 16 million viewers. According to the numbers, most of the nation watched with bated breath as the New York Giants defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a dramatic turn of events.
The Emmy Awards 2019 ratings further support the theory that awards shows are officially fizzling out. The Oscars, Grammys, and Tonys have hit all-time ratings low in the past few years. Despite numerous changes to the telecasts, such as the Oscars going without a host, shortened acceptance speeches, and awards handed out during commercial breaks, networks have been hard-pressed to attract viewers. The Television Academy has another year ahead to contemplate what will compel the masses to watch the Primetime Emmys in 2020. Despite its lack of popularity, the Primetime Emmy Awards 2019 generated notable moments for those who tuned in.
Source: The Wrap