Which streaming service had the best night at the Emmys?
Which streaming service had the best night at the Emmys?
HBO took home the most Emmys again in 2025. Does that help it more this year than it would in most?
The 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out on Sunday evening, and the presence of streaming services among the winners was highly apparent once again this year. Three streaming services won 22 or more total Emmys, combining Primetime and Creative Arts awards, and broadcast and cable channels lagged far behind in terms of total wins. But which streaming service “won” the Emmys this year? There are cases to be made for Netflix, HBO Max, and Apple TV+.
Key Details:
- Tantalizing prospect?: The 30 wins compiled by HBO Max could help its parent company as it tries to attract interest.
- Apple of our eye: Apple TV+ took home 22 statuettes, including best comedy series.
- Netflix in last?: Netflix may have the weakest case of all three streamers to lay claim to an Emmy night win.
HBO Max might have the most compelling case of any streaming service when the discussion turns to which platform won the Emmys this year. To start with, HBO and HBO Max combined to win 30 total Emmy Awards, including 21 Creative Arts and nine Primetime awards. “The Pitt” won a statuette for Outstanding Drama Series, and star Noah Wyle won for Outstanding Lead Actor, while Katherine LaNasa was honored as Best Supporting Actress.
The quality of HBO Max’s wins — including two acting nods for “Hacks” — is only part of the reason I think it was the top winner at the 2025 Emmy Awards. HBO often leads all platforms with Emmy wins, so this year isn’t really an outlier from that perspective. What really puts it over the top in my eyes is that HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is courting acquisition bids, and having more Emmy wins to its name could tack an extra zero to those bids in an ideal world from WBD’s perspective.
Apple TV+ has a strong claim to winning the evening, as well. The streamer is host to the most-awarded show, the new comedy series “The Studio,” which took home a combined 13 awards this year. “Severance” won another eight, including two Primetime Emmys. Apple TV+ has a great selection of premium titles, but its subscribership — though not publicly reported — is believed to consistently lag behind its competition. Continuing to stack major Emmy wins can only help the service.
Netflix tied HBO Max with 30 total Emmy wins, though it won fewer Primetime Emmys than both HBO Max and Apple TV+. Its biggest winner was the limited series “Adolescence,” which acquired a large selection of accolades but won’t be able to repeat the feat next year because it won’t have a second season.
Netflix has less to gain from Emmy wins in general, since it’s already the leading streamer in the marketplace. There’s fewer subscribers to gain, since Netflix already has the most customers of any service, and the streamer now has to count on another show or shows to pile up the nominations at next year’s awards.
Disney+, Peacock, and Prime Video all had fewer than 10 awards apiece, so I don’t think of them as strong contenders to win the evening. Ultimately, HBO Max has to be considered the winner of Emmy night in my eyes. If it has real designs on instigating a bidding war among other media companies, piling up Emmy wins, and showing those companies that it has the most desirable content in the marketplace is a huge benefit.
What do you think, loyal readers? Do you have a different winner picked out for the 2025 Emmys? Let us know how you feel in the comments below.
HBO Max
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