Emmy Awards' abysmal ratings

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Fox drew a record low viewership on Sunday, marking a sixth straight year of decline for TV’s biggest night.

Sunday’s broadcast drew a paltry 5.7 rating and a 10 share in the overnight metered market ratings, down 23 percent from last year’s Monday night show on NBC and down 30 percent from the preliminary rating for the 2017 ceremony, which aired on a Sunday night on CBS, according to Variety.


The figures represent the lowest rating the annual ceremony has achieved in early metrics. The Emmys were up against NBC’s Sunday Night Football, which saw the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cleveland Browns in a score of 20-13.

Per Nielsen fast nationals, the Emmys drew barely 6 million total viewers along with a 1.5 demo rating, down 34 and 39 percent from last year’s fast nationals.

The telecast featured celebrities lecturing America on issues including the gender pay gap and transgender rights.


Game of Thrones was this year’s big winner, taking home a record-tying 12 trophies, followed by HBO’s Chernobyl (with 10 wins), Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (eight) and Amazon’s Fleabag (six, four of which came in major categories including Best Comedy and lead comedy actress).


Cable and streaming programs accounted for 86 percent of this year’s Emmys, leaving broadcast-TV to claim the remaining 14 percent, or 18 out of 132. (In 2018, the Big 5 grabbed 18 percent of the golden pie.) NBC led this year’s pack with seven total wins (five of which went to Saturday Night Live), followed by Fox and CBS (four each), The CW’s two and ABC’s one (Live in Front of a Studio Audience won Variety Special).