The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has confirmed that the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will not air on Television. Instead, the ceremony will be livestreamed on Sunday, June 22.
Although news of the change has been appearing in several reports over the last day, an announcement on Friday said that NATAS had just approved the change.
See photos: Taylor Schilling, Brian Grazer, Billy Bob Thornton Toast the Emmy Season at TheWrap’s Party
Reportedly, NATAS was unable to make an agreement with a TV partner to air the show this year. A representative for NATAS said that its decision to live-stream the show had nothing to do with whether or not it would be broadcast.
“[The event] was always going to have a new social media element…the two were separate negotiations,” the rep said. “We have wanted to “livestream” the event for a while.”
This will be the first time in the event’s four-decade history, the Daytime Emmy ceremony will forgo a traditional TV broadcast and instead air only online through the DaytimeEmmys.net website. Previously, broadcast rights to the event were shared on a rotating basis by ABC, CBS, and NBC, with exceptions in 2009 when it aired on The CW and when it aired on HLN in 2012 and 2013.
Also read: ‘Young and the Restless’ Leads Daytime Emmy Nominations With 26
Friday’s official NATAS announcement celebrated the ability of the show to reach more viewers online and extend the show’s social media interaction with viewers.
“We are so thrilled to be sharing the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards with a global audience in such an innovative and contemporary fashion,” said NATAS chairman, Malachy Wienges, in a statement. “We are confident that the expert team we’ve brought on will flawlessly execute an evening that celebrates the outstanding talent being honored and allows fans to be a part of the action.”