Nate Bargatze Opens Emmys With SNL-Themed Sketch, Donates $100,000

At the 2025 Emmy Awards, host Nate Bargatze opened with a comedic sketch portraying Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of television, alongside SNL stars Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson. The sketch humorously imagined the evolution of television, predicting niche channels such as a History Channel focused on aliens, a Learning Channel filled with reality shows like 'Dr. Pimple Popper,' and a streaming era described as a 'new way for companies to lose money.' Bargatze also joked about networks catering to specific audiences, including Telemundo for Spanish speakers, BET for Black audiences, and CBS humorously dubbed the 'Caucasian Broadcast System.' Following the sketch, Bargatze returned to the stage to enforce a strict 45-second limit on acceptance speeches, pledging to donate $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and adjusting the amount based on speech length. This inventive opening, echoing Bargatze's popular SNL 'Washington’s Dream' sketches, was widely praised for its witty critique of modern television and set a playful tone for the awards ceremony.