Emmys reach record-low audience of 5.9 million people
The Emmy Awards reached a record-low audience of 5.9 million people on NBC Monday night

Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Emmy Awards hit a new low in viewership on Sunday night, with its estimated audience of 5.9 million people even smaller than the COVID-19-disrupted ceremony two years ago.
The Nielsen company said the ceremony honoring television's best work, where “Ted Lasso” was named best comedy and “Succession” best drama, was down from the 7.4 million people who watched in 2021.
Usually shown on a Sunday night, the Emmys were shifted to Monday to make way for NBC's first “Sunday Night Football” game the night before. It couldn't escape football, however, since it competed against a tight “Monday Night Football” game.
The Emmys were hosted by Kenan Thompson of “Saturday Night Live.”
The previous low point for the Emmys, with 6.1 million people, came with a drastically downsized show because of the pandemic in 2000.
While football had its impact, Emmys ratings have been on a steady slide since the awards began to be dominated by shows on cable and streaming services. With so many more television programs being offered, there are fewer that draw the big audiences that were routine in the days when broadcast television dominated.
The last time the Emmys exceeded 10 million viewers was 2018, when it reached an audience of 10.2 million. The Emmys had 21.8 million viewers in 2000, a level it will probably never reach again.
___
For more on this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/EmmyAwards