YIKES

2019 Emmy Broadcast Had Record Low 6.9 Million Viewers

The award show’s viewership sank 32 percent compared to last year’s record-low broadcast.

The Sunday night broadcast of the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards had a record-low number of viewers, with only 6.9 million people tuning in. According to The New York Times, the award show's viewership sank 32 percent compared to last year’s 10.2 million viewers—which, at the time, was a record low. The 2019 broadcast made various changes from previous years, including not having a host, getting rid of a traditional orchestra for music, and rolling out a purple carpet instead of a red one. The Oscars this year also went host-less but saw the audience grow to almost 30 million viewers after the change. Amazon’s Fleabag won best comedy, and Billy Porter became the first openly gay black man to win Best Actor, for his work in FX’s Pose. HBO’s Game of Thrones also won best drama, just one of the 12 awards it received Sunday night.