2026 Emmys Instant Reactions: Is Apple Really the New HBO? What Happened to Netflix?

Summary of 2026 Emmys Instant Reactions: Is Apple Really the New HBO? What Happened to Netflix?

by The Ringer

37m•September 15, 2026
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Overview of 2026 Emmys Instant Reactions: Is Apple Really the New HBO? What Happened to Netflix?

This episode of The Town breaks down the biggest Emmys storylines: Apple’s huge night, HBO’s continued prestige power, Netflix’s relative slide, and whether the industry narrative around “Apple is the new HBO” is actually true. Matt Belloni, Craig Horlbeck, and guest Lucas Shaw mix awards analysis with a few party anecdotes, while also debating how much Emmy wins still matter for brand identity, talent recruitment, and streaming business strategy.

Major Emmy Takeaways

The headline winners

  • Apple TV+ had the biggest night overall, finishing with the most total wins and becoming the center of the “new HBO” conversation.
  • HBO/HBO Max also scored heavily, especially in top-tier categories and overall prestige reputation.
  • Netflix had a quieter showing than expected, despite still landing a respectable number of total wins.
  • CBS/Paramount, Disney, Amazon, and others remained outside the top tier in terms of Emmy dominance.

Key results discussed

  • Widow’s Bay (the episode’s example of Apple’s prestige breakout) dominated with 14 wins, including Best Comedy.
  • The Pit won Best Drama, though the cast vote split reduced its overall acting haul.
  • HBO Max won in the limited series category with DTF St. Louis.
  • Stephen Colbert won as expected.
  • The Traitors beat Probst / Survivor in reality competition.
  • Sally Field winning again was treated as a head-scratcher.

Final network tally cited

  • Apple TV+: 28
  • HBO: 21
  • Netflix: 16
  • NBC / Peacock: 15
  • Disney brands: 15
  • CBS / Paramount+: 11
  • Prime Video: 10

The Big Narrative Debate: Is Apple the New HBO?

Why people are saying it

  • Apple has become a real Emmy contender alongside HBO and Netflix.
  • Its shows are increasingly seen as critics’ favorites and Hollywood favorites.
  • The company now has a reputation for prestige, quality, and star-studded legitimacy.

Why Lucas Shaw says the comparison is incomplete

  • Apple still lacks the mass cultural footprint HBO once had with true breakout shows.
  • Apple’s hits often feel more like elite/viewer-insider favorites than broad pop-culture events.
  • HBO’s early prestige era had shows that, while not universally watched, still felt bigger and more culturally central.

The key distinction

  • Apple may now be the preferred prestige home for a certain class of creators and talent.
  • But HBO still has the stronger history, brand gravity, and cultural legacy.
  • The panel treats the “Apple is the new HBO” line as plausible but premature.

What’s Going On With HBO?

The tension in HBO’s strategy

  • HBO still wins a lot, but it has also become more willing to do:
    • IP-driven projects
    • franchise extensions
    • broader commercial plays
  • That creates a slight shift away from the old “pure prestige” identity.

Why that matters

  • Apple benefits from being seen as the place for premium, risk-taking, star-making TV.
  • HBO is still HBO, but its brand now balances:
    • prestige
    • audience growth
    • corporate/IP mandates

The practical takeaway

  • HBO’s Emmy strength is still real.
  • But the brand no longer feels as untouchably “high prestige” as it once did, which gives Apple room to close the gap in perception.

Why Netflix Looked Softer This Year

The diagnosis

  • Netflix is still a giant, but it is no longer obsessed solely with awards dominance.
  • Its priorities now lean toward:
    • broader audience reach
    • engagement
    • volume
    • a mix of prestige and mass-market content

The panel’s view

  • Netflix still campaigns hard and still gets nominations.
  • But its top shows are often more like broad hits with awards potential, not pure Emmy magnets.
  • The company may not care as much about winning the “prestige war” as it once did.

The broader point

  • Netflix is now judged against a very high bar because it submits so much content and campaigns so aggressively.
  • A “down year” for Netflix can still mean second or third in total nominations and wins.

FX/Disney: Prestige Brand, But Shifting Footing

The issue raised

  • FX used to be one of the clearest prestige TV brands.
  • Now it exists inside a larger Disney ecosystem that includes:
    • FX
    • Hulu
    • broader Disney franchise priorities

What the conversation suggests

  • FX still produces quality, but not every show will naturally become an Emmy player.
  • Ryan Murphy’s prestige aura has faded somewhat because of volume and uneven quality.
  • Disney’s TV empire has lots of moving parts, and awards success is no longer as cleanly tied to one prestige brand.

Important nuance

  • The panel doesn’t think FX is in crisis.
  • But it’s no longer as clearly dominant in the awards conversation as HBO and Apple.

Talent, Brand, and Business Implications

Awards still matter because they:

  • help recruit top talent
  • strengthen a platform’s prestige image
  • can boost viewership for breakout shows
  • reassure corporate leadership that the “Hollywood experiment” is worth funding

Apple’s upside

  • Winning big at the Emmys makes Apple’s TV operation look increasingly legit.
  • It strengthens the case for continuing to spend heavily on premium content.
  • It may help turn prestige wins into broader hits over time.

The business question

  • HBO’s strategy is easier to understand: prestige supports the broader Warner business.
  • Apple’s strategy is still less obvious, but the podcast suggests the answer may simply be:
    • build brand cachet
    • keep executives happy
    • invest in cultural relevance

Night-Of Observations and Party Notes

On the show itself

  • Mariska Hargitay was seen as likable and solid.
  • The musical bits were described as cringey but harmless.
  • The broadcast felt better than last year’s.
  • John Mulaney was singled out as a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
  • The telecast finished ahead of schedule, which surprised the hosts.

At the parties

  • Colbert came off as genuinely happy and celebratory.
  • There was praise for the food at the HBO/Max party, including:
    • hot chicken / chicken and waffles
    • dumplings
    • Henry’s Secret Ice Cream
  • Craig Horlbeck got literally stabbed by an Emmy statuette while going down stairs, drawing blood.

Bottom Line

The episode argues that Apple’s Emmy success is real, but the “new HBO” label is still only partly true. Apple has clearly become a prestige destination, yet HBO still owns the stronger legacy and broader cultural history. Netflix remains a powerhouse but is now playing a different game, and FX/Disney continues to navigate the gap between prestige branding and corporate franchise strategy. The overall takeaway: the Emmy hierarchy is shifting, but the industry’s most important prestige brands are still very much in flux.