Apple joins streaming elite, Netflix crosses milestone with Emmy wins | Inquirer Entertainment

Apple joins streaming elite, Netflix crosses milestone with Emmy wins

/ 04:59 PM September 20, 2021

The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles

The cast and crew members of comedy series “Ted Lasso” pose for a picture with their awards at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, U.S., Sept. 19, 2021. Image: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

LOS ANGELES — Apple Inc. burnished its streaming TV credentials on Sunday as “Ted Lasso” scored the Emmy award for best comedy, and Netflix Inc. landed its biggest television award to date with a best drama win for “The Crown.”

Netflix also tied the all-time record for the most Emmys in a single year with 44, a mark previously reached by ViacomCBS Inc.’s CBS broadcast network in 1974.

Article continues after this advertisement

The honors give the streaming services new bragging rights they can use to promote their offerings in the hard-fought battle for audiences who are ditching traditional TV and searching for quality entertainment online.

FEATURED STORIES

“Ted Lasso” won seven awards overall for Apple TV+, the streaming service that the iPhone maker launched two years ago. Jason Sudeikis took home best comedy actor for his starring role as an upbeat American coach trying to rally a struggling soccer team in Britain.

Executive producer and co-creator Bill Lawrence, accepting the comedy series award, thanked the team at Apple including “T-Dog,” which he joked was his nickname for Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Article continues after this advertisement

Since its debut, Apple TV+ has released dozens of original shows and movies and is trying to compete with not only streaming leader Netflix but also other big media companies including Walt Disney Co., AT&T Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. Those companies and others are spending billions of dollars to expand their own streaming services.

Article continues after this advertisement

Apple has not disclosed how many people subscribe to Apple TV+, which offers only original programming, making its menu smaller than rivals that offer libraries of older TV shows and movies. Last year, it won a supporting actor trophy for the drama “The Morning Show.”

Article continues after this advertisement

HBO, which is in the process of being sold by AT&T to Discovery Inc., had long dominated the Emmys until Netflix crashed the party in 2013, as streaming started to supplant cable subscriptions.

The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles

Actors Moses Ingram, Marielle Heller and Anya Taylor-Joy pose for a picture along with producers Scott Frank, Allan Scott, Mick Ancieto and Marcus Loges, with their awards for “The Queen’s Gambit” at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, U.S., Sept. 19, 2021. Image: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

Despite racking up nominations each year, Netflix had never won an Emmy for a series until Sunday. Alongside “The Crown,” it earned best limited series honors for “The Queen’s Gambit,” the story of an orphaned girl who becomes a female chess champion.

Article continues after this advertisement

“Thank you to Netflix,” executive producer William Horberg said as he accepted the limited series honor. “You guys did the rarest thing of all these days. You took a chance on risky material and you trusted the filmmakers.”

The HBO network and streaming service HBO Max finished second behind Netflix on Sunday with 19 wins for shows including “Mare of Easttown” and “Hacks.”

Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, won 13 awards for “WandaVision,” “The Mandalorian” and other programming. JB

RELATED STORIES:

LIST: Key winners for the 2021 Emmy Awards

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

‘Queen’s Gambit,’ ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘The Crown’ win top Emmy Awards

TAGS: Apple TV+, Disney, HBO Max, Netflix, streaming

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.