Nellie Andreeva

Airing live coat-to-coast for the first time, the Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC drew a 4.1 rating among adults 18-49 and 13.5 million viewers overall, according to time-adjusted early numbers. That was down 2% in the demo and from last year’s telecast on CBS and pretty much flat in total viewers (13.503 million vs. 13.471 million last year). The numbers were higher than the all-time low the Emmys hit with the 2008 telecast on ABC, the one with the five reality hosts’ disastrous MC turn. (This year’s host Jimmy Fallon drew overwhelmingly positive reviewers.) Still, it was the second lowest-rated telecast in at least 7 years and was down 21% from the last time the show aired on NBC in August 2006.

NBC is projected to win Sunday night in total viewers, while the 18-49 race is too close to call as final numbers for Fox’s pre-season football game won’t be available until tomorrow. (In the non-time adjusted fast nationals, the game posted a 3.4 from 8-11 PM but that number is expected to go up.)

Here are the Emmy ratings for the past 7 years in 18-49 and total viewers:

2004 ABC 4.6 13.788 million

2005 CBS 6.1 18.630

2006 NBC 5.2 16.184

2007 Fox 4.3 12.952

2008 ABC 3.8 12.341

2009 CBS 4.2 13.471

2010 NBC 4.1 13.503

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