The absence did not warm the heart at the 75th Prime Time Emmy Awards.
After a four-month delay due to strikes by actors and writers, the Fox broadcast averaged 4.3 million viewers on Monday, a 27% decline from the previous all-time low of 5.9 million viewers in 2022, according to preliminary data from Nielsen. . The final figures to be released on Wednesday are expected to be higher, but are unlikely to change the show's status as the least-watched in history.
NBC aired the previous Emmy ceremony on September 12, 2022. The awards typically air in late August or early September.
Along with the delay, the drop may be a result of awards show fatigue, as the Golden Globes aired Jan. 7 on CBS and the Critics Choice Awards aired Sunday on the CW. That meant a lot of trips to the Emmys stage by the same cast members celebrated on all three telecasts.
The four main stations rotate airing the Emmy telecast.
Viewership for the Golden Globes was up 50% from last year, but was still substantially lower than in 2019, when an average of 19 million viewers tuned in, reflecting an overall decline in viewership across the awards. awards, as streaming video has become the preferred platform for viewers in recent years. Fox's broadcast from the Peacock Theatre, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and hosted by comedian Anthony Anderson, attempted to bridge the gap between older traditional viewers and the current generation that has flocked to streaming video platforms. for your scripted programming.
Anthony Anderson at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, CA on Monday, January 15, 2024.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Emmy voters mostly celebrated acclaimed streaming hits like the Netflix and FX limited series “Beef” and FX and Hulu’s “The Bear,” which won for outstanding comedy and in three acting categories. Perennial Emmy powerhouse HBO also had a big night with “Succession,” which earned three acting wins and trophies for outstanding writing and drama.
But hosts and comedy bits embraced classic television over the decades, reuniting surviving cast members from hits like “Cheers,” “All in the Family,” “Martin” and “Ally McBeal.”
While those shows may be unfamiliar to younger viewers, the proliferation of streaming platforms has made it easier than ever to try them out if they want.
The show earned favorable reviews from critics. But the competition was formidable as the final game of the NFL Wild Card weekend, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, aired in front of the Emmys on ABC and ESPN.
