Netflix Triumphed Over HBO At the Emmy Nominations

There a lot of stories you can focus on in this year’s Emmys: from how Game of Thrones return affected this year’s nominations; to whether or not it’s possible to take the Outstanding Comedy crown from FX’s Atlanta. But arguably the most interesting story about 2018’s nominations has to do with the rise of Netflix. For the first time since the streaming service was nominated for five Emmys in 2013, Netflix has surpassed HBO when it comes to total nominations. Not only that, but this marks the first time in six years any network has been able to surpass HBO when it comes to total nominations. Netflix is here, and it’s swinging hard.

This year, Netflix was nominated for a total of 112 awards, up from last year’s 91. Conversely, HBO received 108 nominations compared to last year’s 111. The next most nominated network, NBC, isn’t even in the same ball park as these two giants. NBC received 78 nominations this year. It’s impressive, but it’s not triple digits impressive.

It’s not just that Netflix has finally managed to give an Emmys behemoth a run for its money, though that’s certainly the case. It’s the way Netflix has achieved its staggering number of nominations that makes this upset so interesting. Out of HBO’s 108 nominations, 43 of them are coming from two of its biggest shows: Game of Thrones; and Westworld. They received 22 and 21 nominations respectively.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s nominations are all over the place. The three  Netflix originals that received the most nominations  — The Crown, Godless, and Stranger Things — don’t even rank among the top five shows of the year with the most nominations. The Crown received 13 nominations while Godless and Stranger Things each received 12. Rather, Netflix’s huge numbers are coming from several shows that scooped up a handful of awards each. Some of those nominations are major, like Jason Bateman’s nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for his role on Ozark. Some are small, like 13 Reasons Why‘s nomination for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program. But the resounding message is clear: Netflix’s strategy of drowning the TV landscape with new shows is working.

That isn’t to say that HBO is dead in the water; far from it. Game of Thrones and Westworld have always been solid awards show performers, and that will likely remain true going forward. But whereas HBO’s awards future is largely dependent on two giant dramas, one of which is coming to an end in the near future, Netflix is playing the long game with a more diversified focus.

The rest of streaming stacked up fairly well. Hulu received 27 nominations for shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Looming Tower, and I Love America. Amazon also showed up in full force, collecting 22 nominations for a show that isn’t Transparent. But the real winner of the day is Netflix. Let’s hope they can turn those nominations into wins.