The 2018 Emmy nominations are officially out, and though we're not willing to place bets on who will win the award for Lead Actress (seriously, what kind of monsters make people choose between Sarah Paulson and Laura Dern?), there is one thing we can say without hesitation: There's only one content provider that rules them all, and it's Netflix.
Netflix dominated the Thursday's announcement, raking in an astounding 112 Emmy nominations for hit shows like Stranger Things 2, GLOW, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Black Mirror. The accomplishment isn't just huge for Netflix; it's a total game-changer for the entire entertainment industry. For starters, this is the first time in nearly two decades that another network received more noms than HBO. To quote Netflix darling Jonathan Van Ness, "Can you believe?"
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Whoa, a streak broken: Netflix had the most Emmy nominations (112) beating HBO (108). First time HBO has not led all TV networks in noms in 18 years.
— John Koblin (@koblin) July 12, 2018
It's no secret Netflix has completely disrupted both the television and film industry. With a massive budget (they plan on spending $8 billion on content in 2018 alone), the streaming giant is able to take risks other networks could never dream of taking. While other networks are lucky if three of their pilots make it through the end of their first season, Netflix can afford to experiment with dozens (if not hundreds) of new projects and tap into different markets. In addition to expanding its Spanish-speaking selections, the company recently introduced its first Indian original series, Sacred Games.
Netflix has also been aggressive in its approach to poach network TV megastars like Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, both of whom landed seven-figure contracts (though Murphy was noticeably granted a much higher sum). The company even struck a deal with former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.
While the absurd amount of hidden gems on Netflix is great for couch-loving binge-watchers, it's getting under HBO's skin. HBO's president of programming Casey Bloys recently sniped that unlike Netflix, HBO was "not in the volume business." Alas, now that HBO is under AT&T, he might have to eat his words, as new chief executive of Warner Media, John Stankey, looks to make the network more competitive. Could this "change of direction" result in unnecessary filler as some fear? It's possible. But in a world that values quantity over quality, HBO may feel it doesn't have a choice.