(Los Angeles) The audience for the Emmy Awards, the equivalent of the Oscars for American television, reached a new historic low Monday evening, despite an evening praised by critics for its tributes to the great series which have shaped the history of small skylight.
Postponed for four months because of strikes in Hollywood, the 75e ceremony was followed by only 4.3 million viewers, according to provisional figures released Tuesday by the Fox channel, which broadcast the show.
A new bearish record for this event, which arouses less and less interest in the United States.
In 2022, the Emmy Awards were watched by only 5.9 million viewers. Which is even less than the 2020 edition, nicknamed “PandEmmys”, when the stars stayed at home due to confinement.
If the ceremony did not attract many people in front of the station, it nevertheless offered a beautiful spectacle, punctuated by nostalgic tributes to several series – The Sopranos, Ally McBeal, Grey’s Anatomy – which have marked the history of American television.
The evening, dominated by the series Succession And The Bear, is thus widely praised by American critics. THE Los Angeles Times even believes that it was “the best Emmys in years”.
But this was not enough to resist the headwinds that were blowing over this ceremony.
The Emmy Awards usually take place in September. But last year, the actors’ and writers’ strike paralyzed Hollywood for six months, upending their schedule.
With actors banned from promotion during the walkout, the ceremony was forced to opt for a January postponement.
A stopgap far from ideal to arouse the interest of the general public: the Emmys found themselves sandwiched between several major Hollywood awards dates, including the Golden Globes and the announcement of the Oscar nominations.
Not to mention that because of the postponement, they rewarded series whose selected seasons often began 18 months ago, an eternity in the world of entertainment.
Very far from their golden age, all major American awards ceremonies are faced with a certain lack of interest from the general public, particularly the youngest, who spend more time on social networks or streaming platforms than in front of the television.
But in the post-pandemic world, the Oscars and Golden Globes have seen their viewing figures rebound a bit, unlike the Emmy Awards.