Television Academy Eliminates ‘Hanging Episode Rule’ From Emmy Competition

variety.com:

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe “hanging episode rule” has been hung out to dry. The Television Academy’s Board of Governors has eliminated the rule beginning with next year’s 2023 Emmy competition.As currently in use through this year’s competition, the “hanging episode rule” currently allows a series (including limited or anthology) that premieres current-season episodes after the May 31 eligibility deadline, but prior to the start of nomination-round voting, to post those episodes on a platform available to Academy members by May 31 for episode eligibility in the current Emmy competition.That will change beginning with the next eligibility year (June 1, 2022-May 31, 2023).

At that point, episodes will have had to have been made available for a national audience, not just Emmy voters, by May 31 on a platform to be Emmy-eligible. “The Academy has made the change to standardize all submissions within the eligibility year,” the org said.

Here are the new rules for series and limited/anthology Series eligibility beginning with 2023 Emmy competition:The required number of episodes from a series must premiere nationally by May 31 to be eligible in the current Emmy competition. (Six episodes are required for series in animation, comedy, drama, variety, short form and reality categories.