Inside Streaming’s Emmy Dominance: Netflix Has More Noms Than the 4 Broadcast Networks Combined

Netflix clobbered HBO in the battle over Emmy nominations on Tuesday, putting an emphatic period on the streaming industry’s long march to the top of the TV ecosystem. Netflix did more than just obliterate the previous record for nominations in a single year with 160; if the gulf between Netflix and HBO, the second most-nominated network with 107, were its own network, it would be ranked ahead of third-place NBC (53 to 47). And for the first time, Netflix had more nominations than the Big 4 broadcast networks combined. Overall, streaming accounted for 42% of all nominations, by far its highest amount, up from 32% a year ago and 28% in 2018. Along with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu have added life to streaming’s rise atop the Emmy mountain. And as has been written in this space many times, that streaming industry is only going to grow. Even this year, Emmy voters had three new streaming services to choose from for nominations, with two more, Peacock and HBO Max, that will contend for awards next year. Disney+, Apple TV+ and Quibi — all of which launched within the past nine months — combined for 47 nominations. That appeared to leave Emmy stalwarts like Showtime and AMC on the outside looking in (AMC’s lone major nod was for “Better Call Saul” as Outstanding Drama Series). The Disney-owned streaming service was led by the “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian,” which bagged 15 nods, including a surprising one for Outstanding Drama Series. Apple TV+ was rewarded for its star power with “The Morning Show,” which grabbed eight overall, including lead acting nods for Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston. Even the much-maligned Quibi managed to score 10 nominations, all in the short-form categories. Streaming got off to an inauspicious start when Netflix first turned heads by getting into original programming with “House of Cards,” “Orange Is the New Black” and the revival of “Arrested Development” back in 2013. That combination of new content was enough to get Netflix 14 nominations, though only a pair of wins. Amazon Prime joined the party two years later when “Transparent” not only landed 11 nominations, but won five awards, including a Best Actor win for Jeffrey Tambor. Hulu would make its Emmy arrival with “The Handmaid’s Tale” in 2017, which won eight awards, including for star Elisabeth Moss and Outstanding Drama Series — becoming the first streaming show to take the Emmy’s final award of the night. Below is a breakdown of how streaming has overtaken the Emmys, starting with Netflix’s first eligible year: