As we know, can we come to the last breath of Emmy’s televised broadcast? After CBS aired this year’s Primetime Emmys on September 14th, the clock will be ticked by ticking into the future where clot casts may be found. That’s because on September 15th, the TV Academy will be able to begin negotiations for a new broadcast contract for the ceremony.
The current “wheel contracts” with four major broadcast networks that air the show each year will expire in 2026. Under the arrangement, NBC will air at the Emmys next year. After that, the rights to broadcast television are in the air. Later this month, the TV Academy will begin exploratory consultations on whether to simply continue the wheels that have been in place since 1995.
I’ll repeat what I wrote at the beginning last year. It’s time to use the “all different things” option. There’s no need to point out how much the television landscape has changed over 30 years ago. Nearly 20 million viewers saw Jason Alexander and Cybill Shepherd hosting the 1995 Emmys on Fox. The world has changed considerably since 2018. Starting in 2018, the latest eight-year wheel contract has been launched (accidentally, the last time that television broadcasts attracted over 10 million viewers).
I believe that the ceremony needs to be aired as an industry-wide “roadblock” to truly help Emmy have all sorts of influences and promote itself. This means that while broadcasting the ceremony, you will also be performing live live on all broadcasts, cable, streaming outlets, and YouTube and as many social media platforms as possible. Certainly, in this time of demand, audiences could still see something else, but with Emmys now available and highlighted at once in so many venues, viewers will clearly receive the message that Emmys is on.
Obstacles are easy to achieve and make the most sense in an age where the audience is everywhere. Considering that Emmys is no longer a broadcast-only award, it should not be broadcast-only. (Yes, the station mimics sister streamer Emmy, as well as this year’s CBS combo with Paramount+. However, in this vast television landscape, it’s an optional sliver available to viewers, making it easy to miss the cracking of host Nate Belgazze.)
Emmy benefits from the weight of the promotion, not Oscars, Grammys, Tony or Golden Globes, but is at the same outlet every year. As Emmys celebrates the entire industry, an exclusive deal with just one outlet coordinates support across the television industry.
The 4 Network Wheel was an elegant solution of the time. However, it is no longer feasible to take just four outlets to carry all the loads in order that support the biggest nights on TV. It’s an industry-wide award show, so shouldn’t everyone share it in celebration?
If everyone introduced Emmy, it would also eliminate concerns about favors. It also works well from an economic perspective. If the business all contributes to the pot, then everyone’s costs are reasonable. Also, an increase in audience means higher advertising fees, which will help pay for the show (TV academies win around $8 million a year with a license fee split across four networks). Obstacles are commonly used to support fundraising activities such as charity events (“Stand Up Up To Cancer”) or disaster relief Telethons. I think it’s also a very important factor to promote the television industry and keeping it lively with your audience.
I recently ran the roadblock concept by Maury McIntyre, president and CEO of TV Academy, and he was a game. “We love the idea,” he told me. Let’s make sure Emmy succeeds. For businesses struggling to stay relevant, the benefits of the Emmy Awards obstacles are enormously promoting their television to the widest audience possible.
