Viewership for the 78th Emmy Awards cratered by 9 percent from last year with just 6.7 million viewers tuning in, with analysts already speculating the Monday night airtime may have been a factor.
The 78th Emmy Awards were broadcast by NBC this year and saw a significant drop from last year when CBS delivered the show’s best performance since 2021 with 7.4 million viewers, per Variety. However, the metrics show that shifting the broadcast from Sunday night to Monday night may have affected the ratings. On that score, NBC actually saw a 41 percent increase from when Fox last hosted the show on a Monday night in 2024.
“But since that telecast, which hit only a meager 4.4 million viewers, was the first in Emmys history to air with fierce competition from an NFL playoff game, the most accurate comparison is perhaps to NBC’s own Monday night Emmys in 2022,” noted Variety. “In those terms, the network’s latest Emmy efforts made a 10% improvement, up from 5.9 million viewers.”
“The Emmys did air against an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. Even with that competition, it drew enough viewers to rank as the the most-watched non-sports, non-news Monday telecast of 2026, both overall and among adults age 18-49,” it added.
On social media, the Emmy’s saw 133 million views across all platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube – a 90 percent increase from 2025.
The 2026 Emmy Awards on Monday night also delivered a mostly politics free show as winners kept the mood light with heartfelt speeches and thanksgiving.
Former late-night host Stephen Colbert took home the Emmy for Best Variety Series following the show’s cancelation earlier this year. His speech mostly centered on celebrating his crew while pleading with industry leaders to hire them.
“The thing about these late shows is that besides being a really good steady job, is that they require so many people,” he said. “That they’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in, to learn to work professionally on a deadline. In cooperation. In collaboration. And that is the future of our business that we have to look after.”
After the audience applauded, Colbert pleaded for his crew.
“I want you to know, I got some great news, they are all tech avail,” he said, prompting laughter. “Hire them. They will make your show better. They will make your day easier.”