Hulu made Emmys history last night by becoming the first streaming service to win an Emmy for Best Drama (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), but it was Netflix that actually took home more awards at this year’s Emmys. That’s not surprising, given how nominations Netflix earned this year – with 91 Emmy nods, it had come close to doubling its Emmy presence from 2016, where it was up for 54 potential wins.
Only HBO had scored more Emmy nominations this time around – a notable feat, too, considering that its flagship show “Game of Thrones” didn’t compete this year, due to it missing the eligibility period.
Netflix’s lineup of Emmy contenders has a lot to do with how much it has invested in content for its service – $6 billion in 2017, with plans to increase that to $7 billion next year. That strategy has paid off not only in terms of subscribers, but also industry recognition, like the Emmy awards.
Its programming up for wins last night included “Stranger Things,” “The Crown,” “House of Cards,” “Master of None,” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” among others.
Even Emmy host Stephen Colbert couldn’t help but comment on Netflix’s growing influence, which has arrived over a relatively short period of time.
At one point he quipped, “just remember, their hottest movie five years ago was a scratched DVD of ‘Finding Nemo,’” when speaking about Netflix’s sizable number of nominations.
At the end of the night, Netflix came in a close second to HBO by total wins by network, when including the Creative Arts Emmys, awarded earlier.
HBO took home 29 wins to Netflix’s 20 thanks to a strong showing by HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” which scored 8 Emmys. But Netflix was well-represented this year, with its hit “Stranger Things” receiving 5 Emmys, “The Crown” earning 4, and both “Master of None” and “Black Mirror: San Junipero” with 2.
It may have been Hulu’s big night, with its not-too-surprising wins for the critically acclaimed “The Handmaid’s Tale,” but Netflix and HBO are still the networks dominating the Emmys, topping both other streaming services, like Hulu and Amazon, as well as broadcast and cable TV.
Hulu made the headlines, but whether or not it can repeat that formula next year remains to be seen. Otherwise, it could end up like Amazon, which made a pop with shows like “Transparent” and “Mozart in the Jungle,” but hasn’t been able to maintain momentum.
This year, Amazon only won 2 Emmys, awarded at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys.
The total wins by network (via Deadline) are below:
HBO: 29
Netflix: 20
NBC: 15
Hulu: 10
ABC: 7
FX Networks: 6
Fox: 5
Adult Swim: 4
CBS: 4
A&E: 3
VH1: 3
In terms of last night’s Primetime Emmys, the list is as follows:
HBO: 10
NBC: 6
Hulu: 5
Netflix: 4
FX: 2