Surprise Emmy wins by Sally Field and James Spader may have been overshadowed last night by victories by the New York Yankees and New England Patriots.

Facing very tough sports competition and the general viewer malaise that has seen ratings for even top shows drop since last spring, last night’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on Fox fell to what might be a record low.

The show averaged a 10.5 metered-market household rating and 16 share from 8 to 11:15 p.m., according to Nielsen, down 20 percent from last year’s 13.1/20 for the show on NBC.

That telecast aired in August, as NBC had just acquired “Sunday Night Football” and had to air the Emmys before the NFL season kicked off.

This year Fox became the first network to air the Emmys opposite “SNF” since it moved from cable, and that extra challenge proved daunting.

“SNF’s” Patriots-San Diego Chargers game finished ahead of the Emmys during their shared timeslot from 8:30 to 11:15, averaging an 11.7/18 in metered markets.

The Emmys also faced strong cable competition on ESPN, where the Boston Red Sox squared off with the New York Yankees for the final time during the regular season as the Sox try to hold off the Yanks in the American League East. Their games usually draw higher-than-average ratings, but results weren’t available at press time.

Fox’s Emmy Awards may be the least-watched in the telecast’s history when final numbers are issued tomorrow. (As a reminder, fast nationals measure timeslot data, not actual program data, and are not time-zone adjusted, meaning they may change significantly.)

According to fast nationals, Fox averaged 13.1 million total viewers from 8 to 11 p.m., 3 million fewer than last year and below the record-low 13.8 million for ABC three years ago.

In adults 18-49, Fox averaged a 4.3 rating from 8-11, down 17 percent from last year’s 5.2 and lagging behind “SNF.”

Another culprit for the ratings drain may be the viewer dropoff that has been afflicting the networks since last spring. “SNF,” while still strong, is also off from last year, and numerous summer shows saw their averages dip, as did hits like “Desperate Housewives,” “American Idol” and “Heroes” by the end of last season. 

Meanwhile, NBC was first for the night among 18-49s with a 4.8 average overnight rating and a 13 share. Fox was second at 4.0/11, CBS third at 2.8/8, ABC fourth at 2.0/5, Univision fifth at 0.8/2 and CW sixth at 0.5/1.
 
CBS started the night in the lead with a 4.5 at 7 p.m. for “60 Minutes” and NFL overrun, followed by Fox with a 2.9 for “Countdown to the Emmys.” NBC was third with a 2.6 for “Football Night in America,” ABC fourth with a 1.4 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” Univision fifth with a 0.9 for “Hora Pico” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a repeat of “Smallville.”
 
At 8 p.m. NBC took the lead with a 5.1 for the first hour of “SNF” and the end of “America,” with Fox moving to second with a 4.2 for its first hour of the Emmys. CBS and ABC tied for third at 2.7, CBS for “Big Brother” and ABC for another repeat hour of “Home Edition,” with Univision fifth with a 0.6 for its first of three hours of “Buscando a Timbiriche” and CW sixth with a 0.3 for a repeat of “7th Heaven.”
 
NBC extended its lead at 9 p.m. as its football game grew to a 6.3. Fox was second with a 4.6 for its second hour of the Emmys, CBS third with a 2.3 for a repeat of “Cold Case,” ABC fourth with a 2.0 for the first half of the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” Univision fifth with a 0.9 for its second hour of “Buscando” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a repeat of “The Pussycat Dolls Present: Search for the Next Doll.”
 
At 10 p.m. NBC led with a 5.2 for another hour of football, with Fox still in second with a 4.3 for the Emmys. ABC and CBS tied for third at 1.9, ABC for the second half of “Anchorman” and CBS for a repeat of “Shark,” with Univision fifth with a 0.9 for its last hour of “Buscando.”
 
Among households, Fox led the night with a 7.7 average overnight rating and a 13 share. NBC was second at 7.4/12, CBS third at 6.3/10, ABC fourth at 3.5/6, Univision fifth at 1.0/2 and CW sixth at 0.8/1.