The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards averaged 6.87 million viewers on ABC on Sunday, a big increase from the trophy show’s recent slump and its highest box office showing since 2021, according to Nielsen.
The evening ceremony, held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, was the Television Academy’s second go-around in nine months. It was held in January after being postponed by last year’s double writers’ and actors’ strike. The telecast, which aired on Fox, was watched by a record-low 4.3 million viewers.
Due to the delay in the last ceremony, the Emmy and Critics Choice Awards ceremonies took place in the same month, which may have created too much praise for viewers. The telecast also featured NFL playoff games.
The last Emmy Awards telecast, held in its traditional September time slot in 2022, drew a record low of 5.9 million viewers.
Eugene Levy, co-star of the hit Emmy-winning comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” and his son Dan hosted Sunday’s ceremony, where Max’s “Hucks” unexpectedly beat out FX’s highly rated restaurant series and was crowned surprise comedy winner: “The Bear.” Nominated for a record-breaking 23 awards, “The Bear” won 11, surpassing the record for a comedy that series set last year.
FX also saw record-breaking wins for its drama “Shogun,” set in 17th-century feudal Japan, which won 18 awards, the most for any show in a single year.
The Emmys’ ratings have been hurt by shifts in audiences in an industry where viewing options have proliferated in the streaming era, making it harder to build a mass audience hit. The broadcast networks, who rotate showings of the ceremony, garner little attention from Television Academy voters outside of late-night programming.
In recent years, the Emmy Awards program has tended to recognize prestigious programming from streaming services and premium cable outlets like HBO, but it still contains plenty of segments celebrating TV’s culturally recognizable past.
The awards remain a valuable promotional tool for networks and streamers trying to gain attention for their shows in a crowded marketplace.
The Walt Disney Co. was the most awarded conglomerate on the night, taking home a total of 60 awards across its various brands, thanks in large part to the success of FX, including a Creative Arts Emmy Award, which was presented before the primetime showcase.
Other big Disney wins this awards season include the Disney+ documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” and Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” won for best limited series, and creator Richard Gadd won six awards for writing and acting, making it the third award-winning series of the season.
