Video streaming startups close gap on traditional producers for Emmy nominations

TV streaming services like Netflix and HBO have again topped this years list of Emmy nominations, indicating a seismic shift in consumer viewing habits, Techcrunch reports.

HBO, which has been available as a streamed service since 2015 via HBO NOW, leads all networks with 110 nominations, but Netflix is close behind with a total of 91 nominations.

While the audience favourite Game of Thrones didn’t make this year’s Emmy cut off date, HBO is still competing in the drama category with “Westworld”, joining Netflix favourites “House of Cards,” “The Crown” and “Stranger Things.” Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” brings another streamer into that race, which has only broadcast network in the best drama mix, with NBC scoring a nomination for “This is Us”.

While this is HBO’s 17th consecutive year at the top of the Emmy nominations later, the lead between the cable TV network and its video startup rival is narrowing: Just two years ago, Netflix earned 92 fewer nominations than HBO, while this year it has just 19 fewer.

Netflix has made a significant investment in its own original program, which looks to be returning dividends for the streaming service. The company plans to invest $6 billion on original content this year, according to chief executive Reed Hastings. The platform has produced critically acclaimed content like Orange is the New Black, Master of None and Making a Murderer.

Australians have been eager to adopt the streaming model, with one in three Aussies subscribed to Netflix, according to a report published last month. A survey of over 12,000 Australians over the age of 14 by Roy Morgan Research revealed the number of Netflix accounts has shot up to over 7 million in the first quarter of 2017, or around 36% of those surveyed.

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