Hulk Hogan's Emmys 'In Memoriam' Broadcast Snub Was Political, Says Ex Linda

Hulk Hogan was among the celebrities inexplicably left out of the Emmys "In Memoriam" broadcast segment Sunday night ... and his ex-wife suspects it wasn't a simple error.

Linda Hogan tells TMZ … she believes Hulk’s snub was political, due to his right-wing embrace and support later in life -- including speaking at the RNC for President Trump last year -- despite the fact the wrestling superstar supported both sides of the aisle.

Hulk was among a few notable names not honored on the CBS show ... others included horror icon Tony Todd and "Sopranos" star Jerry Adler. An Emmys rep pointed out all of them, including Hulk, are included in a longer online version of the segment ... but it's just a scroll of names with zero production value, unlike the broadcast segment.

Linda tells us, Hulk was a "ratings king" who was an icon on the small screen for decades … and whether it was on network or pay-per-view, hordes of wrestling fans always tuned in to see Hulk.

And Linda points out ... through his stardom, Hulk opened the door for people who were never wrestling fans to become followers … 'cause of the energy and goodwill he put out there.

And while the Emmys aired on CBS, Linda points out NBC in particular owes a great deal of respect and gratitude to Hulk … since the network premiered "Saturday Night's Main Event" in 1985, the first wrestling show on prime time featuring stars from what was then the WWF… and Hulk’s appearances made it a ratings success.