The Emmy ratings collapse continues.
An audience of 4.3 million watched the Emmys on Fox on Monday night, the lowest audience on record, according to preliminary Nielsen data. In 2022, the Emmys drew 5.9 million viewers, the previous low.
Ratings have put the Emmys dangerously close to the Tony Awards, which for decades have drawn significantly smaller audiences. But in June, 4.3 million people tuned in to the Tonys, an increase from the previous ceremony.
The final Emmy numbers, which will be released Wednesday, will likely increase somewhat from the preliminary numbers.
The Emmys had a lot against them. The ceremony was delayed four months due to last year's writers' and actors' strikes, the largest postponement of the event in more than two decades.
In fact, the competition was tough on Monday night. The Emmys went head-to-head against a Monday night football playoff game and the Iowa caucuses.
The football game, which featured the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drew more than 28 million viewers, according to Nielsen. About 4.7 million people tuned in to the three big cable news networks between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. for the Iowa comebacks, according to preliminary Nielsen data.
The Emmys also faced competition from other awards shows. All of Monday night's big winners – “Succession,” “The Bear” and “Beef” – had been honored at the Golden Globes last week and at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night.
However, the Emmys even had trouble fending off a repeat TV show. A rerun of “NCIS” on CBS at 8 p.m. Monday night, which had the benefit of an introduction to another playoff football game, drew 4.9 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen data.
Most other major awards shows, despite lower viewing figures compared to a decade ago, have seen an uptick in ratings recently. Oscar ratings have increased two years in a row. So have the Grammys. Even the scandal-plagued Golden Globes saw a huge surge in viewership last week.
You can't blame the Emmy telecast, which aired on Fox and hosted by Anthony Anderson. The ceremony received generally warm reviews, with critics appreciating the number of cast reunions, including “Cheers,” “Ally McBeal” and “Grey's Anatomy,” that were organized in honor of the awards' 75th anniversary.
The Emmys won't be long in coming. The next ceremony will be in September and broadcast on ABC.
