Netflix (NFLX) crushed the 72nd Emmy Award nominations on Tuesday, garnering an impressive 160 nods — the most out of any other network, including its strongest competitor HBO.

The AT&T-owned (T) programmer came in second place with 107 nominations, down from last year’s 137, and led by series “The Watchmen” which earned 26 total nominations (the most of any show).

But is it all that surprising?

“Not really,” Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Yahoo Finance.

“Netflix has a massive breadth of content and they have, within their stable of creatives, just an amazing array of talent. Furthermore, they are not afraid to spend money to produce content and create deals with some of the most interesting and dynamic filmmakers in the business,” he said.

“Netflix has become a real force to be reckoned with so this [record-breaking moment] shouldn’t come as a surprise,” he added.

The platform has relied on strong originals like “Ozark,” “The Crown,” “Dead to Me,” and “ Stranger Things” to boost subscriber growth. It recently doubled down on its estimated $17 billion content bet by promoting Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos to co-CEO.

Sarandos, who frequently strikes up partnerships with TV studios and production houses, is known as the behind-the-scenes dealmaker for the streamer. He is largely seen as the unofficial face of Netflix — especially in Hollywood.

But just because Netflix seems lightyears ahead of the competition (at least at the current moment), doesn’t mean other streamers can’t catch-up.

“Netflix is not an overnight success story,” Dergarabedian said — noting how the company initially started out as a pay-for-use DVD rental company.

“Who could have imagined that a decade later they would be sitting atop a mountain of Emmy nominations, [but growth] takes time and these other streamers will all be players because they all have the capacity and resources to attract great talent,” he explained.

Both Disney+ (DIS) and Apple TV+ (AAPL), newbies in the ever-evolving streaming wars, secured multiple Emmy nods on Tuesday — scoring 19 and 18 nominations, respectively.

Both platforms made their debuts less than one year ago, in November 2019.

Furthermore, in arguably one the biggest surprises of the day, Disney’s “The Mandalorian” snagged a coveted nomination for Best Drama.

“Emmy nominations on this level will make people stay with a particular service,” Dergarabedian said.

“All services have a shot but each one is at a different point in their individual timeline — some are in infancy, others are in full force and then there are those that are still yet to come.”

Streaming “is very much a meritocracy. At the end of the day it all comes down to quality...the content has to be good no matter what platform,” he concluded.

Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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