# Mariska Hargitay owned Emmys night

> Law & Order took over the 78th Emmys, and the ads arrived before the first award did.
- Title: Mariska Hargitay owned Emmys night · Adweek | Shortify
- Summary: Law & Order took over the 78th Emmys, and the ads arrived before the first award did. Live awards shows are now brand real estate, and the Emmys themselves…
- Keywords: emmys, advertising, streaming, apple tv, television, Mariska, Hargitay, owned, night, Adweek
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/tvnewser/mariska-hargitay-wins-emmys-takeaways
- Author: Mark Mwachiro
- Published: 2026-09-15T04:07:22+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: emmys, advertising, streaming, apple tv, television
## Law & Order took the Emmys
NBC and Peacock made Mariska Hargitay the first female host in 15 years, and she turned the 78th Primetime Emmys into a tour of her own career.

> It was all Law & Order at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday.
## Brands showed up in the opening number
United Airlines got a hero shot of a plane while Hargitay raced to the stage, and she prepped for the show in a Marriott robe across multiple scenes.
## Why integrations keep winning
Live events are one of the last places advertisers can buy attention at scale, so brands are paying to be written into the cultural moment instead of interrupting it.
## A serious actor let loose
Hargitay stumbled over the word finale, joked that 27 seasons of SVU still haven't had one, pulled in Taylor Swift for a sketch, and sang with Andrew Rannells.

> Hargitay closed the case on any concerns quickly.
## Apple TV is the new HBO
Widow's Bay won 14 Emmys, a season record for a comedy, and Pluribus took six. Apple TV landed 89 nominations across 15 programs.
## The Emmys may leave broadcast
The ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox rotation just ended. Networks paid about $8.25 million a year, and streamers could pay more while offering global reach and no affiliate ad breaks.

> But if future shows don't include Hargitay, that's a crime we consider especially heinous.
## Key takeaway

Live awards shows are now brand real estate, and the Emmys themselves may be the next thing sold to streaming.