Emmy Awards ratings dip by 10% compared to last year
What's the story
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Mariska Hargitay and broadcast on NBC and Peacock, experienced a significant ratings decline of 10% compared to last year, reported Deadline. The event attracted only 6.7 million viewers, a decrease of around 7,20,000 from the previous year's audience of 7.42 million for Nate Bargatze's hosting on CBS. This drop in viewership comes despite Taylor Swift making a surprise appearance in the opening monologue.
Consistent numbers
Comparisons with previous Emmy ceremonies
The viewership for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards is consistent with the 2024 ceremony, which was broadcast on ABC and attracted 6.87 million viewers.
This suggests a steady interest in the awards show, despite fluctuations in hosting and broadcasting networks.
The current numbers also exceed the viewership of the last NBC-hosted Emmys in 2022, which only drew 5.92 million viewers.
Ratings challenge
Competition from Monday Night Football
One of the major hurdles for NBC, which airs the Emmys on a Monday night (local time) to avoid its Sunday Night Football broadcast, was the clash with Monday Night Football.
The game featured a fully fit Patrick Mahomes leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
Despite this competition, NBCUniversal claimed that the Emmys were the most-watched Monday entertainment telecast of 2026 in total viewers and among adults aged 18-49.