NBC Moving Primetime Emmys Back To August

Allows network to avoid scheduling conflict with Sunday Night Football

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/18/2009 2:30:22 PM

NBC will host the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards to Sunday, August 29, 2010, the network said Wednesday. The move allows NBC to steer clear of a scheduling conflict with its Sunday Night Football franchise, and also means that the Emmys will have less original competition on the other broadcast networks.
 
While the Emmys traditionally run at the end of September, shortly before the new Fall TV season, there is precedent for an August airing. NBC presented the 2006 Emmys on August 27 of that year, also because of football. NBC says it was the highest-rated Emmy telecast of the last four years.
 
"NBC is excited to host television's biggest night with the Primetime Emmy Awards," said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "Scheduling and announcing the telecast for August 29 this early in the awards cycle will give the Television Academy and NBC a head start on creative discussions."