TV Ratings: Virtual Emmy Awards Slump to New Lows
Paul Dailly
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It looks like viewers were not fond of watching another virtual event.
The 72nd Annual Emmy Awards on Sunday delivered 5.1 million total viewers for ABC.
The telecast was down 27 percent vs. last year's audience low.
Given the changes in the world since, and the fact that there was no live audience, and the awards were picked up virtually, it makes sense.
Many TV shows have pivoted to produce episodes virtually, and it's clear that viewers are growing tired of remotely-produced content.
The beauty of an awards show is in watching the talent pick up their awards in-person, as well as keeping up to speed with all of the latest fashion.
Those two reasons alone meant that it was going to be a bitter pill to swallow for most people tuning in.
That being said, awards shows have been losing ground in the traditional ratings for years, and don't get timeshifted all that much.
Who wants to watch an awards show after learning all of the winners through word of mouth and, of course, social media?
Without the red carpet, ABC scheduled Celebrity Family Feud ahead of the telecast, and it pulled in 5 million viewers.
In comparison to the Emmys broadcast, that is a good number.
Sunday Night Football, as expected, took a hit week-to-week, but it still managed to deliver 14.3 million total viewers.
Over on CBS, 60 Minutes managed 7.5 million viewers and a 1.3 rating, while Big Brother (3.5 million/0.9 rating) and Love Island (1.7 million/0.4 rating) both held up well in the face of stronger competition.
As for the winners of the Emmys, it was a good night for Watchmen, which nabbed 11 total wins, while the final season of Schitt's Creek managed nine.
HBO managed 30 total wins, dwarfing Netflix's 21. Pop TV had a good showing thanks to Schitt's Creek with 10 total wins.
What are your thoughts on the ratings?
Are you surprised?
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
