Jimmy Kimmel to host the Primetime Emmys in an empty Staples Center, with as many as 140 live feeds coming into the control room

Variety

The Primetime Emmys are usually held across the street at the Microsoft Theater. But the Staples Center was chosen because its massive size will allow for social distancing. “One is that it’s so large that the crew can work safely under COVID-safe protocols and be at the appropriate distance from each other,” says executive producer Reginald Hudlin. “Because obviously the most important thing is safety first. The second part is, this show will need an unbelievable number of wiring connections in and out, because the nominees are not going to be there. So we’re going to take cameras to where they are. And the number of feeds that that requires is so massive that we need a facility like the Staples Center, which is used to having that much signal from reporters covering sports to handle the kind of in and outputs that it requires.” The producers plan to have professional cameras and, if possible, camera operators stationed where every nominee is located. (For programs, one of the nominated producers will be chosen to serve as the show’s on-camera representative.) “This will all depend on the comfort level of the people at the other end, but we’ve got to go and find them,” said Ian Stewart, whose company Done+Dusted will be involved with the Emmys for a third straight year. “They might be at home, they might be in the garden, might be in a hotel, they might be standing on the side of the street. It doesn’t really matter, wherever they feel comfortable. But we want to bring every nominee that we can logistically, live into the show.”