Emmys 2021: Will they be delayed by NFL football?

We went into the 2021 Emmys thinking that 100% they would air on time at 8:00 p.m. Eastern; did the NFL have other plans?

CBS seemingly did their part in order to ensure that the TV awards show started on time, as they chose to preempt 60 Minutes for the week. So long as football was wrapped at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, they would be just fine.

Yet, come 7:45 Eastern time, things were starting to get a bit dicey. The game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tennessee Titans went into overtime, and beyond just that, it took a while for either team to get going. This, of course, puts the network into a pick. Football is king, and it generates enormous ratings and revenue for the network. We’ll offer updates if there need to be some, but we would imagine they’d delay the start of the Emmys if they absolutely have to. CBS has been flexible before with their programming over the years, and we imagine that they would be here, too, if need be.

Here’s the good news for them: Right when it seemed as though the show was going to be pushed back, the NFL game started to reach its conclusion. It wrapped up at 7:52 p.m. Eastern, and that should give CBS enough time to start the Emmys on time. If that doesn’t happen, then it should only be a minute or two late. There’s no need to sound any alarms here. This NFL delay is probably a great thing for the Emmys ratings-wise, since it could allow them a greater sense of continuity than they would probably otherwise have. Even if viewers keep it on the network for another hour, there’s a good chance they will generate a lot of revenue.

Do you think CBS should always prioritize awards shows like the Emmys over the NFL?

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