After being delayed for months due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, the 2023 Emmys finally took place on Monday, January 15, 2024. Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the ceremony was broadcast live from Downtown L.A.’s newly renamed Peacock Theater.
But this time, the Emmys was like in the lowest attendance ever. According to Nielsen, only 4.3 million people bothered to tune in to Fox’s hosting gig.
Maybe everyone was busy binge-watching their favorite shows instead. Folks are calling it karma because they didn’t hand an award to Better Call Saul again.
People Say Karma Hit 2024 Emmys as It Snubbed Better Call Saul Again
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards was a jackpot for shows like Succession, Beef, and The Bear as they hauled away a bunch of those shiny golden trophies.
Better Call Saul again didn’t catch up at the Emmy Awards this time. This show had its fair share of Emmy nominations—a whopping 53 over six seasons. But when it came to winning, the number is still zero.
Casual viewers hit social media in total shock and got ready with their own reasons why the Emmys had a lower rating this year. They say it’s “Karma” that hit Emmy’s viewership “for not giving Better Call Saul any awards.”
Karma for not giving Better Call Saul any awards
— Mohamed Enieb (@its_menieb) January 16, 2024
I mean they deserved since they robbed Better Call Saul every year pic.twitter.com/okGAcgw3XC
— joey (@Fan_FlickOn) January 16, 2024
I just saw who won an award here on X, while I watched Better Call Saul on Netflix.
— Eric Pellinen (@EricPellinen) January 17, 2024
Should’ve given Saul a win
— 𝕆𝕨𝕖𝕟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 ȶɦɛ 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒘𝒌𝒔 (@Sexmal33) January 17, 2024
Karma pic.twitter.com/UJ7XhbgyhX
— César Mongez💗💣 (@CMongez) January 16, 2024
Deserved
— Milosh Addams (@Daredevil01x) January 17, 2024
But what’s the actual reason behind the downfall? Let’s find out.
Why did the Emmys have lower Viewership This Year?
Despite pulling out all the stops, the 75th annual Emmy Awards only managed to grab 4.3 million viewers and a 0.85 rating among Adults 18-49.
While it’s a record high for Fox, marking their most-watched Monday unscripted show in over eight-and-a-half years, it’s also a new low for the awards show, as per Nielsen data (via Variety).
The Emmy Awards hit a lower rating for a couple of reasons. First, they veered from their usual fall schedule because of those big strikes last year.
This time around, it clashed with an NFL playoff game and the Iowa Caucuses in the presidential campaign. Per Nielsen, the football match featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drew more than 28 million viewers.
The next reason is that the Emmys have become kind of predictable. The big winners in major categories were all super popular shows. So, no surprises here—everyone saw it coming.
It’s the same winning list from the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, so no shockers at the Emmys. Although the decline for Emmys began in 2022, garnering 5.9 million viewers, the previous low.
The Emmys hit over 10 million viewers in 2018. Back in 2000, it was a blockbuster with a whopping 21.8 million viewers, a level it likely won’t reach again.
