Emmys Ratings Fall Nearly 10% From Last Year, But Streaming Surges
What To Know
- The 2026 Emmy Awards drew 6.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
- The show marked a 10% decline from last year despite strong NFL competition.
- NBC highlighted gains in streaming and social media engagement.
The numbers are in for the 78th Emmy Awards, with the ceremony drawing 6.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, down 10% from last year despite facing strong competition from the NFL.
For comparison, the Emmys drew an estimated 7.4 million viewers on CBS last year and 6.9 million on ABC in 2024, according to the Associated Press. But despite this year’s decline, NBC still had plenty to celebrate.
According to the network, the Emmys were the most-watched entertainment show of the night and the most-watched Monday entertainment telecast of 2026 in both total viewers and the key adults 18-49 demographic.
While viewership was down year over year, NBC pointed to gains compared to some previous Emmy broadcasts. The NBC television broadcast was up 41% from the last time the Emmys aired on a Monday, when the 2024 ceremony on Fox drew 4.4 million viewers.
The ceremony also improved on the last time NBC aired the Emmys in 2022. When NBC and Peacock viewers are combined, this year’s audience was up 10% from that telecast.
The Emmys also performed well on streaming, delivering the biggest reach ever on Peacock for a non-holiday NBC entertainment special, behind only previous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades.
There was also plenty of interest on social media. Emmy videos generated 133 million views across Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube, up 90% from last year. The ceremony also generated 17 million interactions across those platforms, ranking No. 1 for the night.
Despite the drop in viewers from last year, NBC had some positive numbers to point to, particularly when it came to streaming and social media.
Because the Emmys aired on NBC and Peacock this year, the ceremony was held on a Monday to avoid competing with Sunday Night Football, according to Variety. NBC has made the same move before, airing the Emmys on Mondays in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
This could also be the last year NBC airs the ceremony under its current deal. The Emmys have rotated among NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox for years, but that agreement expires in 2026. It remains to be seen which network will air the awards going forward.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay hosted the 2026 Primetime Emmys.
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