Daytime Emmys Finds New Home On Its Own Streaming App

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has found a new home for the Daytime Emmys with its own streaming service. The new platform is expected to launch within the next several weeks, yet months before the Daytime Emmys take place this year.

According to Variety, the Daytime Emmys used to rotate between ABC, NBC, and CBS in its prime. However, NBC dropped out after 2004, and ABC after 2008. The CW aired the award show in 2009, and then CBS in 2010 and 2011. HLN picked it up for two years; then Pop TV ran it in 2015 — the last time it was on TV. Since, the Daytime Emmys have broadcasted between YouTube, Facebook, and Periscope.

NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said viewers will have a clear idea of where to watch the Emmys and its other awards shows with the new app. “We were making it available on PCs and mobile in a clunky way,” Sharp said. “But with the Emmys OTT app available on any platform, if you want to watch on your phone, you can watch on your phone. You want to watch on your TV; you can watch on your TV. And really be accessible to the audience. Wherever they are consuming the shows, we’re on it.”

Sharp said NATAS is currently making the service available on web, mobile, and major set-top platforms, including Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Firestick, and Android TV. The app will be free and initially not contain any commercials. “It is going to be there as a resource,” Sharp said.

“Long term, I think we certainly see opportunities for ad support and/or sponsor support. That is not in the plan for launch day. I think our focus right now is really on building the content and building the audience. Then we’ll look at the monetization path down the road. There are certainly opportunities for it, and it’s something wherein the engineering we are baking in. Monetization is not the focus, at least for 2020.”