Boost from NFL helps Emmys 2013 increase ratings

With a boost from the NFL, Sunday night’s Emmy Awards brought in the show’s biggest audience since 2005, according to early numbers from Nielsen.

The three-hour telecast, in which “Breaking Bad” and “Modern Family” took home the top trophies, drew an average of 17.63 million viewers, up 33% from last year’s show, which aired on ABC.

In the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic, the Neil Patrick Harris-hosted event generated a rating of 4.5, an increase of 26% from last year’s 3.9. It was its highest demo rating since 2006.

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The uptick came in part because of NFL games on CBS that carried into the Emmys’ time slot.

Still, NBC won the night among 18-to-49-year-olds with NFL games, including the Chicago Bears’ 40-23 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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