NBC realizes that Sunday Night Football is just about the only thing it has going for its fall schedule, so in a choice between what to sacrifice, a regular season NFL game on Sunday Night Football, or the typical schedule date (late September) for the Emmy Awards, the Emmy Awards lost.
NBC will host the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards to Sunday, August 29, 2010, the network said Wednesday. The move allows NBC to steer clear of a scheduling conflict with its Sunday Night Football franchise, and also means that the Emmys will have less original competition on the other broadcast networks.
via Broadcasting & Cable.
This year’s Emmy Awards ratings on CBS (on September 20) were up from the historic lows last year, but still received a ratings beat down from the Sunday Night Football Cowboys / Giants game.
Wasn’t it in August a few years ago? How bad were the ratings that year?
August 29th? Wow, that’s like the second WORST week to pick for airing something like the Emmy’s…
(Christmas week being the worst probably)
People watch TV in August when there is compelling programming (Olympics). The EMMYs will be as compelling to watch (for non TV industry folk) as the ratings of the nominees.
As has been the trend in recent years, lower rated, non-broadcast programs have been getting more and more nominations: Mad Men, 30 Rock, Breaking Bad, Damages, etc.
Unlikely NCIS will be nominated, so this will likely continue the trend of dwindling EMMY ratings irrespective of the month of airing.
Ooops….30 Rock is NBC which is a broadcast net. Show still does not rock the ratings, though.
Conan should host.
This will be an low ratings emmys.
But I don’t think August will take all the blame. If all of TV has lower ratings, why would we expect an awardshow for TV to have higher ratings?
The full article linked notes that NBC knew where its bread was buttered back in 2006, scheduling the Emmys in August then as well… and no Emmys since have topped those ratings.
So A) There’s no evidence of a Hollywood backlash because of this, B) ratings are unlikely to be impacted, outside of the usual year-over-year decline nearly all the awards shows have seen.
This also means that when 30 Rock wins its next batch of Emmy’s NBC will be able to use it in all their promos for the new season next year…
30 Rock has been on its game so far this season. Should likely get nominated if not win…yet again.
But watch out for Modern Family and Parks and Recreation.
How many of you remember when August was a sweeps month?
I think the Emmys had its best year within the last few years when it aired in late August back in 2006 so this is the perfect spot. I think the Emmys should start airing in late August for now on, football kills it every year and plus it should not air against stiff competition.
Great move by NBC.
Jimmy Fallon should host he was funny at this past Emmys.
Why not put it on in September during the regular season during a week night? It would still get better ratings than most shows NBC would air anyway.
NBC did this four years ago when they had the Emmys then and started the NFL Sunday Night games. Conan has hosted the last two Emmys on NBC. I wonder if Tina Fey would do it?
Have OPFRA host the Emmys and she can plug her new show and new network for three hours