If the HBO has its way, the annual Primetime Emmy Awards telecast could be moving to the premium cable channel as early as next year.
The development comes as a surprise to the four networks–ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC–which have been in contract renewal talks with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences since June. For the past eight years the awards show has been aired in a “wheel format,” with the Big Four networks airing the ceremony in rotation.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the ATAS request for a $10 million annual licensing fee is at the heart of the issue–a sharp increase from the $3 million the academy had been receiving for the past four years.
As the Big Four presented their collective counteroffer of $3.5 million, HBO swooped in and offered not only to pay the $10 million licensing fee, but cover the show’s $5-6 million production costs and as much as $1-2 million in marketing and promotions costs.
While the networks have the opportunity to counter HBO’s bid, their offers would still likely be dwarfed by the pay TV agreement.
The pact with HBO–expected to be finalized Tuesday–has major broadcasters threatening to boycott the ceremony and possibly launch competing awards shows.
“As part of a wheel format, the Emmys are a shared industry event,” CBS spokesman Chris Ender told The Hollywood Reporter. “Setting it up at one or several networks creates a competitive situation, and if that’s the case, CBS will counterprogram aggressively. If they make the move, CBS will no longer participate in the Emmys and will withdraw all support for ATAS.”
Reps for ABC, NBC and Fox declined to comment.
But one network executive who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said that if the academy agreed to the HBO pact, networks would likely organize a new primetime TV awards show exclusively for broadcast programming.
“I can very well see that there would be an entity that would be happy to sponsor a primetime awards show that doesn’t have the cable influence, and is not the three-hour HBO infomercial that the Emmy Awards currently is.”
The networks are also worried the HBO deal would limit the awards show audience to households who have cable or satellite services, instantly cutting out the 43 million people who don’t.
Broadcasters have long complained that the premium cable channel has an unfair advantage because it is not ratings dependent and does not have to abide by the standards imposed by network censors.
HBO, for example, delivers commercial-free series that generally have 13-episode seasons, while broadcast networks traditionally order 22 episodes per season and have greater restrictions on content.
HBO series such as The Sopranos and Sex and the City have had increasing success at the Emmy Awards, walking away with a handful of trophies last year.
Nancy Lesser, a spokeswoman for HBO, would not comment on the deal, saying, “it is inappropriate for us to comment on the business of the TV academy.”
