​Netflix’s “House of Cards” made Emmy history today, becoming the first online-delivered series to be nominated by television’s leading awards. The political thriller received nine nominations, including for Best Drama and in the Best Actor in a Drama Series category for star Kevin Spacey. Netflix originals “Arrested Development” and “Hemlock Grove” also received Emmy nominations.

“It’s really groundbreaking,” Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, told the Associated Press. “It’s beyond our most bold expectations. We were thinking a single nomination would be a win… It’s as much a win for Internet television as it is for the content creators.”

The historical moment echoes the year 1996, when HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show” became the first cable show to receive an Emmy nomination, for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Nowadays, cable dominates the Emmy Awards. A nomination for “House of Cards” could herald a similar transition of the awards into the Internet space. Notably, none of the Big Four networks received a Best Drama nod this year.

Brief Take: Today’s Emmy nominations mark a nominal moment in the TV industry, with streaming video service Netflix scoring 14 nominations for its original series, “House of Cards,” “Arrested Development” and “Hemlock Grove.” Like HBO before it, Netflix is using critical recognition to drive its marketing and branding efforts.

To read the full list of 2013 Emmy nominations, check out Deadline.

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