But 72nd annual Emmy Awards are still likely to set record lows on ABC
Jimmy Kimmel can do a lot of things, but when it comes to savings the virtual Emmys from record ratings lows, even he can only do so much.

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Click Here Already a subscriber? LoginThe 72nd annual Emmy Awards, also known as the first (and hopefully not annual) virtual Emmy Awards, air Sunday on ABC. By Monday, we’ll likely have new record-low TV ratings for the Emmys — though the Nielsen numbers may not drop as much as you would think.
Last year, Fox’s turn with the Emmys drew 6.9 million total viewers, which was down 32% from 2018 (10.2 million total viewers) to a new record low.
Those 2019 Emmys, which were host-less and also on a Sunday, declined 33% in ratings among adults 18-49, falling from a 2.4 to a 1.6. And that’s with an excellent lead-in, airing after most of the country had access to watch the New York Giants come from behind to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in dramatic fashion.
Also Read: Fox Wins Nielsen's 52-Week Season in Demo Ratings - but CBS Repeats With Total Viewers
Those are some whoppers of declines. While the lack of an in-person, traditional ceremony this year could very well drop the 2020 Emmys to even lower Nielsen numbers, the drops may not be as bad as what they were in 2019.
After all, Kimmel is an upgrade over nobody, and in terms of general conventional viewership, the more-established ABC is an upgrade over Fox. But ABC, which does not wade in NFL waters (outside of its association with sister channel ESPN, which carries “Monday Night Football”), will not have as good a lead-in on Sunday. The tradition of airing the Emmys on the first Sunday of the Nielsen TV season will continue this year at least in part to give ESPN a clear runway for Monday’s New Orleans Saints vs. Las Vegas Raiders game.
(That tradition gets bucked when NBC’s crack at the Emmys rolls around. The 2018 Emmys aired on a Monday on NBC, which the network does to make way for the higher-rated — and more expensive — “Sunday Night Football.”)
Also Read: 2020 Primetime Emmy Award Winners, by Show and Network
All of that is not to say this Sunday’s Emmys will have a bad lead-in. ABC will air an original “Celebrity Family Feud” episode ahead of the TV awards. The episode will feature an “Everybody Loves Raymond” grudge match, Ray Romano vs. Brad Garrett, as well as a second game between bands Fallout Boy and Weezer.
This year the Emmy Awards on ABC will directly face off with the New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks. That contest has the potential to be a very good one — even without Tom Brady.
Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT, which means the Emmys will have a 20-minute head start on the pro pigskin. Early tune-in for TV’s biggest night has the best possibility to actually grow from 2019’s ratings, as the curiosity factor mixed with the existence of a monologue provides one of the 2020 Emmy’s only real opportunities for improvement.
Also Read: Ratings: Virtual ACM Awards on CBS Hit All-Time Lows in Key Demo and Viewers
As for the TV series nominated for Emmys this year, those are not an upgrade.
Last year’s Emmy Awards had the final season of “Game of Thrones” going for one last trophy run. This year we’ve got Season 2 of “Succession” — a great show, no doubt, but Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook aren’t exactly Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage to the public at large.
“Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian,” nominated for Best Drama, could help keep some viewers around for Sunday night’s final category. But Baby Yoda won’t have much of a presence over the first two hours, 55 minutes — the Disney+ show’s nods came mostly on the Creative Arts Emmys’ side.
Back here on Earth, mainstream stars Jennifer Aniston and Zendaya will be on camera as nominees, but their recognizable faces on a webcam can only do so much.
On the comedy side, “Fleabag” (which didn’t air a new season) making way for the final season of new front-runner “Schitt’s Creek” is a lateral move. Both are great sitcoms, but they’re still pretty niche in terms of awareness.
Also not working towards the 2020 Emmys is how other virtual awards shows have performed amid the coronavirus pandemic. They’ve pretty much all hit new record lows. Take, for example, the 2020 ESPYS. And the 2020 ACM Awards. And the 2020 VMAs. We could go on, or you could just take our word for it.
Truth be told, the way TV viewership and audience fragmentation is going in the “Peak TV” era, they all might have hit new lows in a non-COVID world anyway.
So good luck, Jimmy, and good luck, ABC. If it helps, WE’LL be watching — but also that’s our job and we’re not Nielsen panelists.
10 Stars Who Just Need an Emmy to EGOT, From Elton John to Stephen Sondheim (Photos)
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The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is among the greatest and most elusive honors in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it based on competitive awards.
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Elton John, composer and musician (1947-)
Grammy: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, "That's What Friends Are For" (1986); Best Instrumental Composition, "Basque" (1991); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, "Candle in the Wind" (1997); Best Show Album, "Aida" (2000)
Oscar: Best Original Son, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from "The Lion King" (1994)
Tony: Best Score, "Aida" (2000)
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Getty Images
Joel Grey, actor (1932 - ) Grammy (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "Cabaret" (1968) and "Chicago" (1998) Oscar: Supporting Actor, "Cabaret" (1972) Tony: Featured Actor in a Musical, "Cabaret" (1967)
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Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, composers (both 1985 - )
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Oscar: Best Original Song, "La La Land" (2017)
Tony: Best Original Score, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
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Stephen Sondheim, composer and lyricist (1930-2021)
Grammy: Best Show Album, "Company" (1970); Best Show Album, "A Little Night Music" (1973); Song of the Year, "Send in the Clowns" (1975); Best Show Album, "Sweeney Todd" (1979); Best Show Album, "Sunday in the Park With George" (1984); Best Cast Show Album, "Into the Woods" (1988); Best Show Album, "Passion" (1994);
Oscar: Best Original Song, "Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man)" from "Dick Tracy" (1990)
Tony: Best Musical, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," (1963); Best Score and Best Lyrics, "Company" (1971); Best Score, "Follies" (1972); Best Score, "A Little Night Music" (1973); Best Score, "Sweeney Todd" (1979); Best Score, "Into the Woods" (1988); Best Score, "Passion" (1994) -
Henry Fonda, actor (1905-82)
Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album, "Great Documents" (1977)
Oscar: Best Actor, "On Golden Pond" (1981)
Tony: Best Actor, "Mister Roberts" (1948); Best Actor, "Clarence Darrow" (1975)
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Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist and producer (1895-1960)
Grammy: Best Original Cast Album, "The Sound of Music" (1960)
Oscar: Best Original Song, "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from "Lady Be Good" (1941); "It Might As Well Be Spring" from "State Fair" (1945)
Tony: Three awards for "South Pacific" (1950); Best Musical, "The King and I" (1952); Best Musical, "The Sound of Music" (1960)
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Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist and writer (1918-86)
Grammy: Best Original Cast Album, "On a Clear Day" (1965)
Oscar: Best Original Screenplay, "An American in Paris" (1951); Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song, "Gigi" (1958)
Tony: Best Musical, "My Fair Lady" (1957); Best Original Score, "Gigi" (1974)
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Frank Loesser, composer (1910-69)
Grammy: Best Cast Album, "How to Succeed..." (1961)
Oscar: Best Song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from "Neptune's Daughter" (1949)
Tony: Best Musical, "Guys and Dolls" (1951); Best Musical, "How to Succeed..." (1962)
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Jule Styne, composer and songwriter (1905-94)
Grammy: Best Cast Album, "Funny Girl" (1964)
Oscar: Best Song, "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954)
Tony: Best Musical and Best Score, "Hallelujah Baby" (1968)
A select group of entertainers can round out their trophy cases with a competitive win from the Television Academy
The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is among the greatest and most elusive honors in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it based on competitive awards.
Tony Maglio
TV Editor • tony.maglio@thewrap.com • Twitter: @tonymaglio