For fans of awards shows, the 2019 Emmys gave plenty of reasons to tune in to their 71st annual celebration of the broadcast. Producers opted to move forward without a host and even with all the millennial-targeted programming, the show still struggled to grab the attention of viewers. In the end, reports state that there were only 6.9 million people who watch the award show, making the 2019 Emmys the worst rated in its history.
Judging from the metrics, the social media engagements may have made the Emmys a trending topic but that still didn't translate to viewership. Some speculate that because the Emmys were aired on Sunday and not Monday, it had to compete with popular Sunday Night Football. Usually, the show would go up against Monday Night Football, as the rating for that NFL program doesn't hold the same level of popularity.
Yet, it seems that the decision to not have a comedic figure host the event worked against the program. Last year the Emmys managed to obtain a 2.4 rating, dropping dramatically to 1.6 this year. According to reports, there also wasn't any noticeable moment that showed a dip in viewership; it steadily maintained a low rating from the opening of the broadcast to the end. The quality of the show itself wasn't necessarily unfavorable, although critics were less than kind in the media. Across the board, award shows are pulling in fewer numbers in general, so it may be time to revamp them entirely.