As a longtime enthusiast of the small screen, I find myself thoroughly intrigued by this year’s Emmy contenders! The numbers speak for themselves – with millions upon millions of viewers tuning in to witness the artistic brilliance these shows and actors bring to our living rooms.
The prestigious Emmy Awards, known as the pinnacle of television achievements, are not decided by popular vote. Instead, a recent examination of the highly-viewed programs and nominees from this year offers a fascinating insight into the comparative market success of the competitors.
According to Nielsen, the highest-rated nominees encompass “Fallout,” a popular video game adaptation on Prime Video, and its lead actor Walton Goggins, who is nominated in the dramatic categories.
In terms of comedic shows, “The Bear” claimed the top position, and its lead actor, Jeremey Allen White, also topped the charts according to Nielsen’s findings. Meanwhile, Selena Gomez held the highest viewership among actresses in a comedy series, on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”.
SEE ALSO: 2024 Emmy Nominations — Full List
Of course, just because any given show or actor is popular doesn’t actually mean they have better odds of winning an Emmy (or any other award). But Nielsen’s point in releasing the rankings was reveal to show which awards contenders could give marketers the biggest reach, by providing insight into “how audiences are voting with their time,” the company said.
For the categories of drama and comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, Nielsen tracked the amount of time viewers spent watching each show’s season that fell within the qualifying period (June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024).
In the actor and actress categories, the rankings consider any productions (be it movies or series) where the performer was a main cast member, often referred to as a top-billed actor. For instance, Goggins’ total count includes views of “Fallout,” but also other shows like “Righteous Gemstones” on HBO and “Justified” on FX. Similarly, White received credit for “The Bear” and the 2023 film “The Iron Claw,” as well as his role in Showtime’s “Shameless” as the eldest Gallagher brother. Aniston benefited significantly from viewings of “Friends” on Max. This methodology favors actors who starred in popular shows and films during the Emmys eligibility period, serving as a reasonable approximation for determining the most-watched nominees in the acting categories.
Here’s a summary of the top three most-popular TV shows, actors, and actresses according to Nielsen’s categorical rankings:
Drama Series
| Network/Platform | Show | Total U.S. viewing hours |
| Prime Video | Fallout (Season 1) | 162.1 million |
| Netflix | The Crown (Season 6) | 100.1 million |
| Hulu/FX | Shogun (Season 1) | 99.7 million |
Comedy Series
| Network/Platform | Show | Total U.S. viewing hours |
| Hulu/FX | The Bear (Season 2) | 97.6 million |
| Hulu | Only Murders in the Building (Season 3) | 84.4 million |
| ABC/Hulu | Abbott Elementary (Season 3) | 59.8 million |
Limited or Anthology Series
| Network/Platform | Show | Total U.S. viewing hours |
| HBO/Max | True Detective: Night Country | 66.7 million |
| Netflix | Baby Reindeer | 61.2 million |
| Apple TV+ | Lessons in Chemistry | 35.4 million |
Actor in a Drama Series
| Actor | Nominated for | Total U.S. viewing hours* |
| Walton Goggins | Fallout (Prime Video) | 363.9 million |
| Gary Oldman | Slow Horses (Apple TV+) | 283.6 million |
| Idris Elba | Hijack (Apple TV+) | 279.8 million |
Actress in a Drama Series
| Actor | Nominated for | Total U.S. viewing hours* |
| Jennifer Aniston | The Morning Show (Apple TV+) | 1,725.4 million |
| Imelda Staunton | The Crown (Netflix) | 247.6 million |
| Reese Witherspoon | The Morning Show (Apple TV+) | 192.8 million |
Actor in a Comedy Series
| Actor | Nominated for | Total U.S. viewing hours* |
| Jeremy Allen White | The Bear (Hulu/FX) | 499.7 million |
| Steve Martin | Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) | 195.4 million |
| Martin Short | Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) | 169.4 million |
Actress in a Comedy Series
| Actor | Nominated for | Total U.S. viewing hours* |
| Selena Gomez | Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) | 164.8 million |
| Ayo Edebiri | The Bear (Hulu/FX) | 158.4 million |
| Jean Smart | Hacks (Max) | 45.4 million |
Nielsen, based on their assessment, considered the top Emmy candidates by taking into account both streaming platforms and traditional broadcast and cable television within the United States.
On Sunday, September 15th, the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards event will be broadcast live from 8 p.m. Eastern Time onwards, on ABC.
A Look Ahead at the Emmys: Special Reunions of ‘Happy Days’, ‘Saturday Night Live’, and ‘The West Wing’ Cast, as well as Jelly Roll’s ‘In Memoriam’ Tribute Performance
Shown here from left to right: Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”), Walton Goggins (“Fallout”), and Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
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2024-09-13 18:48