The Emmy Awards, the most prestigious accolades in US television, were watched by a record low 11.8 million viewers, according to data analysis firm Nielsen.

Fox, which this year broadcast the three-hour marathon, mopped up only seven percent of US households with access to television, compared to 9.8 percent who watched the telecast in 2014.

Sunday night's show in Los Angeles was watched by the fewest number of people since Nielsen began compiling records 30 years ago.

It marked a 24 percent slump in the number of television viewers compared to 2014 and a drop of a third compared to 2013.

HBO's fantasy epic "Game of Thrones" won the Emmy for best drama series and Jon Hamm took home the trophy for best actor for his role as Don Draper in the now-finished "Mad Men."

Viola Davis became the first African American to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama series, for her portrayal of a law professor in ABC's "How To Get Away with Murder."

The Emmys generated more than a million tweets, according to Nielsen.