Will Tonight’s Emmy Awards Air In 4K On Paramount Plus Or CBS?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, will the Emmys on Sunday night air in 4K? I would think it would be a great exhibit for 4K’s better picture and CBS would want to show that, right? – Joe, Des Moines, Iowa.

Joe, the 77th annual Emmy Awards, which honor the best achievements in television during the last year, will air tonight (September 14, 2025) at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount Plus. The awards show will feature some of the most famous performers in television wearing colorful and stylish clothing. (Well, most of them.) So, yes, you would think the show would be in 4K. But will it?

Answer: No. The Emmy Awards will not be in 4K on CBS or Paramount Plus. In fact, the Emmys have never been broadcast in 4K in its entire history.

CBS, which offers very little in 4K (The Masters being a rare exception), does not see any financial or ratings benefit in offering a 4K broadcast. This is not an uncommon sentiment in the industry. The networks simply do not believe that a 4K event will attract more advertising or viewers. Fox is the most aggressive network when it comes to 4K and it only does a small amount of live sports in the format.

As for the Emmys being a great ‘exhibit’ for 4K, CBS does not care about that. The network does not have a vested interest in seeing 4K develop a wider audience; it doesn’t make TVs or other products that would benefit from more people watching 4K. So why would it spend extra money to produce a 4K show?

Networks are not in business for altruistic reasons.

Joe, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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