2021 Emmys: What to expect as streamers secure top nominations

Yahoo Finance’s Alexandra Canal joins the Yahoo Finance Live panel with an Emmy preview.

Video transcript

ZACK GUZMAN: Welcome back. In this week's Fame and Fortune, the Emmys are back and in person this time it's going to be very interesting to see who wins and obviously, bragging rights for the streaming platforms and shows out there that do win. And for more on what that means for the streaming wars, welcome back into the show, Yahoo Finance's Alexandra Canal here, to, break it all down for us. Hey, Ali.

ALEXANDRA CANAL: Hi. Yeah, we're pretty much in a full circle moment right now. If you remember last year, the Emmys was the first major award show to go virtual. Now we're back a year later and it will be in person, but it's going to be on a much smaller scale. Very limited attendees, only four guests per nomination. It's going to be in an air conditioned tent. We did have Jen Aniston the other night talking to Jimmy Kimmel and she said although the "Friends, The Reunion Special" was nominated four times, she will not be going to the show due to quote unquote, "health concerns".

So Hollywood at large, still a little apprehensive as the Delta variant continues to surge, especially in California. However, this is the first award show to require vaccinations for everyone that's attending. So everyone will be fully vaccinated. You will also have to test negative for COVID-19. So they are following all of the guidelines. We have Cedric the Entertainer hosting.

The EPs of the show did tell Deadline that they want this to be a party. They don't want to politicize everything and they want to get those ratings up because last year, especially amid COVID-19, all of the major award shows plummeted. The Emmys hit an all-time low last year. We'll see if they could recover some of those viewers.

But what is going to be different this year is that in addition to broadcasting on CBS, it will also simultaneously be live streamed on Paramount Plus. So it's not going to be solely about those linear numbers. It's also going to be those sign ups and some of those streaming figures, when it comes to this show's performance. So we'll have to see what happens. We have a pretty stacked lineup this year. I'm excited to tune in. It'll be Sunday night. CBS, Paramount Plus, that's how you can watch.

AKIKO FUJITA: And Ali, increasingly, we've seen these awards shows sort of framed as a race among the streaming players. I saw all the campaign billboards out in LA. Clearly, there is a huge push to try and line up these awards here. Who do you think is the big favorite, if we're talking specifically about streaming services?

ALEXANDRA CANAL: Yeah, absolutely. Streamers did receive a ton of nominations. If we take a look at some of those nominations by network, coming out on top, you have HBO, along with their streaming service HBO Max, securing 130 nods. Followed by Netflix, with 129. Disney Plus, 71. And then we have traditional cable network NBC, with just 46 nominations. So way behind those streaming competitors.

And rounding out the top five we have Apple TV Plus, with 37 nominations, largely thanks to that breakout comedy series "Ted Lasso". I'm hard core rooting for "Ted Lasso". I love the show. I just got into it. I think that's the one to beat in the comedy category, although I also heard that "Hacks" on HBO Max is also very good. But "Ted Lasso" did earn 20 nominations, right up there with some of the most nominated shows, which also all went to streaming, surprise, surprise.

You take a look at the top three, we have Netflix's "The Crown" with 24 nods. Disney Plus's "The Mandalorian", also with 24 nods. And then "WandaVision" on Disney Plus securing 23 nominations. Now, this is the first time in Emmys history that the top three shows came from streaming giants. If I personally had to give my prediction when it comes to Best Drama, I would go with "The Crown". It's won in years past. I think that's a safe bet.

For comedy, I already said it, "Ted Lasso". That's who I'm rooting for. And the Best Limited Series, which I think historically has always been the most competitive, if "Mare of Easttown" does not win, we riot because that is probably my favorite show of 2021. But Best Actress in a Limited Series, that might actually be the most competitive, with Kate Winslet, Anya Taylor-Joy, Elizabeth Olson. Could be anyone's game, but again, I'm going to go with Kate Winslet because she was just amazing in "Mare of Easttown". That's my [INAUDIBLE] vote. So we'll have to see.

ZACK GUZMAN: So we'll have to see. What happens. Ali Canal, bringing us the latest there with the Emmys on deck. Appreciate that.