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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Richard Plepler, President and CEO of HBO, was at the center of an airy space at the Pacific Design Center, where the network hosted its post-Emmys night for over a decade.
Another season of prizes had just ended, with HBO and Netflix winning 23 Emmys each. HBO has long been proud of its dominance of the Emmys, an honor close to its end Monday night. But Mr Plepler was struck by the idea that there was a rivalry between the network he is heading and the good digital start.
"This reductive idea that their success comes at our expense, or our success at their expense, is simply inaccurate," Plepler said. "You know how you know it's not right? Look at the last three or four years! We have increased more in the last three or four years than at any point in history. They grew older. We did a good job. They did a great job. This is not a binary dynamic. Now — "
Mr. Plepler looked to his left.
"Allow me to hug the producer," he said, bringing in the arms of Lorne Michaels, the producer of "Saturday Night Live" and the producer of the Emmys show on Monday night.
"Mazel tov!" Said Mr. Plepler.
Things had seemed risky for Mr. Plepler and his team until the final moments of the ceremony, when HBO's "Game of Thrones" won the best drama statuette, the most prestigious award of the night.
A sense of relief was palpable at the floral-themed HBO party. The music was not too loud and the big room allowed for easy conversation. John Oliver, who had won his third Emmy in three years, in the category of best variety talk shows, passed by, and Mr. Plepler grabbed him and hugged him.
"What we are most proud of is that in this extremely fierce and competitive environment, the talent line on our doorstep is longer than ever, and we will continue to invest in that talent," said Plepler. "That's what makes the network the network."
"Are we organizing quality, are we organizing excellence? "And if we continue to do that, the prices will come and, more importantly, the talent will continue to come."
Although Mr. Plepler has not hesitated in his mission, HBO has undergone a dramatic change over the last year. The network had long been part of the Time Warner Company, an arrangement that ended in June, when AT & T finalized its purchase of the company for $ 85.4 billion.
A few tables later were Mr. Plepler's new boss: John Stankey, an AT & T executive of three decades.
"Here he is," said Mr. Plepler, gesturing to Mr. Stankey.
After mentioning that the two men had sat together at the Microsoft Theater, Mr. Plepler added:
If Mr. Plepler had minimized the idea of rivalry with Netflix, Mr. Stankey was not afraid of the subject. "In terms of percentage," he said, "we got much better results, a much higher benefit-to-loss ratio."
Decades ago, HBO was in the current position of Netflix, playing the role of challenger in a sector of its own. A long-standing advertising slogan of HBO has highlighted the difference, in terms of form and content, between the advertising-driven television industry: "It's not TV, it's HBO."
And as she presented herself as the home of what would be called prestige television, her marketing materials were announced with pride, year after year, that she had won more Emmys than anyone else.
But now, like all the champions who have been hearing from us for years, HBO has decided to adapt its strategy to avoid being knocked out by its competitors – Netflix, Amazon, Hulu – who would like to take its place as the envy of the industry. .
Amazon, with much lower programming than Netflix, also enjoyed a good night, winning five Emmys on television, including the best comedy for "The Wonderful Mrs. Maisel".
The FX cable network also had a good night claiming the Gianni Versace: American Crime Story limited edition prize – but that victory was bittersweet because Ryan Murphy, executive producer of the series , had signed a The Netflix agreement earlier this year was about $ 300 million.
The 23 wins of Netflix are the result of an aggressive strategy. It has reached its tentacles in many genres – from limited series to reality shows, to specials – in an effort to appeal to almost every niche audience. The company spends about $ 8 billion on content this year, about $ 6 billion more than HBO spends annually on programming.
After the Emmys ceremony, Netflix executives and stars packed NeueHouse, a fashionable work space in Hollywood just a few blocks from its new headquarters. The music was booming, thanks to D.J. Daisy O'Dell, who had worked the CAA night on Saturday night and the Showtime party on Sunday.
Among the revelers were Dave Chappelle, Jeff Daniels and Tiffany Haddish. They made their way through narrow corridors covered with thick curtains in a hue better described as Red Netflix. Ben Stiller held the court in a dimly lit hallway until one of the many security guards present grudgingly responded that he was blocking the traffic.
"I'm excited to share the night with HBO," said Ted Sarandos, Netflix content manager, in an email. "The fact that our victories were achieved through so many titles and forms has made me particularly proud of the work of our creators and the Netflix team."
The day after the parties, Nielsen's numbers were accurate and sobering. Despite all the antics – campaign feasts, red carpet events and acceptance speeches – the Emmys show had a low score, with 10.2 million viewers, a loss of 11 % compared to last year.
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