Emmy Awards 2025 Ratings Hit Four-Year High

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Sep 17

The 77th Emmys delivered their biggest audience since 2021, closing awards season on a high note.

The 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards telecast scored a major win of its own Sunday night — in the ratings.

With an average audience of 7.42 million viewers, the annual ceremony saw its second consecutive year of growth, according to preliminary Nielsen figures. That marks the first time the Emmys have posted back-to-back audience gains in more than a decade.

Broadcast live coast-to-coast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, the 77th Emmys were hosted by stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze, who opened the show with a recurring bit about a donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. While the gag drew mixed reviews, the ceremony itself benefited from a competitive year in television — and the draw of buzzy first-time winners.

Apple TV+’s breakout comedy The Studio, Netflix’s emotional limited series Adolescence, and HBO Max’s genre-blending drama The Pitt took home top prizes in their respective categories, helping propel the Emmys to their highest ratings since 2021, when 7.83 million tuned in.

The 2024 Emmys, which aired on ABC, had pulled in 6.9 million viewers — a rebound from two record-low years during the pandemic era. This year’s increase represents an 8% jump year-over-year.

A Rare Ratings Streak

The last time the Emmys saw back-to-back gains was in 2012 and 2013, when ceremonies on ABC and CBS respectively each built on the previous year’s numbers. Since then, the awards have faced steady decline amid cord-cutting, streaming shifts, and reduced broadcast reach.

While 7.42 million viewers is still modest compared to decades past, it stands as a win in the current TV landscape, where even top-tier awards shows are struggling to maintain relevance in an on-demand world.

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A Strong Year Across Networks

HBO/HBO Max and Netflix tied for the most overall Emmy wins this year (including the Creative Arts ceremonies held Sept. 6 and 7), with 30 statues apiece. Apple TV+ followed closely with a record-setting 22 wins, its best showing at the Emmys to date.

The Emmys closed out the 2025 awards season, which overall saw mixed results in viewership: