Sunday TV Ratings: 2020 Emmys Hit an All-Time Low Against NFL & NBA
Update 9:05 am on 9/22/20: Updated numbers released on Tuesday show the broadcast came up again to 6.4 million viewers and a 1.3 rating.
Update 10:36 a.m. PT: Final numbers for the Emmys broadcast came up from previously reported overnights to 6.1 million viewers and a 1.2 rating, but still a record low for the broadcast.
Previously 8:30 a.m. PT: The show did go on Sunday, September 20, for the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards with host Jimmy Kimmel doing his best in a mostly-virtual setting with nominees and winners scattered at their homes all over the globe. But it’s not a huge surprise that, coupled with a less-than-spectacular awards show and competition from the NFL (on NBC) and game 2 of the NBA Playoffs (on ESPN), ratings hit an all-time low for the annual broadcast.
Based on overnights (that do not include West Coast numbers, which will be available later on Monday or early Tuesday), the broadcast brought in 5.1 million viewers and a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo, a drop from last year’s broadcast (on Fox) when 6.9 million viewers showed up with a 1.6 rating.
For the rest of the night, the Seattle Seahawks beating the Denver Nuggets 35-30 was the big draw for the NFL in both the 18-49 demo and total viewers. (Again, final numbers will adjust later).
Here’s the breakdown for Sunday, September 20, 2020 (numbers are fast-affiliate based):
| Time | Show | Adults 18-49 ratings | Total Viewers (millions) |
| 7:00 p.m. | NFL overrun (CBS) | 4.0 | 16.2 |
| Football Night in America (NBC) | 1.8 | 7.0 | |
| Celebrity Family Feud – R (ABC) | 0.7 | 5.0 | |
| Last Man Standing – R (Fox) | 0.5 | 2.0 | |
| 7:30 p.m. | NFL: The O.T. (Fox) | 4.0 | 13.0 |
| Duncanville – R (Fox) | 0.3 | 910,000 | |
| 8 p.m. | SNF Pregame (NBC) | 3.7 | 13.3 |
| 60 Minutes (CBS) *start 7:50 p.m. | 1.3 | 7.5 | |
| 72nd Annual Emmy Awards (ABC) | 1.0 | 5.1 | |
| The Simpsons – R (Fox) | 0.3 | 902,000 | |
| Fridge Wars (CW) | 0.1 | 278,000 | |
| 8:30 p.m. | NFL Sunday Night Football: New England at Seattle (NBC) | 4.3 | 14.3 |
| Bless The Harts – R (Fox) | 0.3 | 730,000 | |
| 9:00 p.m. | Big Brother (CBS) *start 8:50 p.m. | 0.9 | 3.5 |
| Press Your Luck – R (ABC) | 0.4 | 2.3 | |
| Bob’s Burgers – R (Fox) | 0.3 | 827,000 | |
| Supernatural – R (CW) | 0.1 | 255,000 | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Family Guy – R (Fox) | 0.3 | 804,000 |
| 10 p.m. | Love Island (CBS) *start 9:50 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.7 |
| Match Game – R (ABC) | 0.3 | 2.0 |
