HGTV Announces Return of Several Fan-Favorite Shows After Facing Viewer Anger Over Wave of Cancellations
HGTV has announced that it is bringing back a wide variety of fan-favorite shows starting this fall after coming under intense criticism for conducting a programming purge that saw the cancellation of multiple series.
The network sparked controversy in July when it revealed it was canceling several popular shows: “Bargain Block,” “Married to Real Estate,” “Farmhouse Fixer,” “Izzy Does It,” “Christina on the Coast” and “The Flipping El Moussas.”
Although the network did not comment on the cancellations, reports at the time suggested that the move came amid a ratings disaster that had seen HGTV lose half its audience within a few years.
HGTV has now seemingly attempted to refute these claims by announcing a robust schedule of programming, with multiple shows returning to the airwaves, including the “House Hunters” franchise, which is now set to debut. four new spin-offs.
‘Property Brothers’ stars Drew And Jonathan Scott have also been given a new platform in the form of “Property Brothers: Under Pressure,” a 14-episode spinoff in which they will provide advice to green homebuyers nervous about navigating the market.
‘My Lottery Dream Home’, starring David Bromstad taking recent lottery winners on a search for their dream home, will also return to the network, as will “Love It or List It,” starring Hilary Farr And David Visentin; and “Renovaton Aloha”, who is present Tristin And Kamohai Kalama.
“With this programming order, HGTV will deliver more of our proven formats that drive consistent ratings for the network, while also featuring new talent and concepts to engage our dedicated fans and attract different audiences,” Howard LeeChief Creative Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery from US Networks, The company reported this in a statement to Us Weekly.
“HGTV’s passionate fans tune in for our signature expertise in home renovation, real estate and design, and they also want content that is unfiltered, escapist and fun.
“The network’s large order of new and returning series has something for everyone,” Lee added.
The network has not yet commented on claims made in a report from Termsuggesting that declining viewership was responsible for the removal of several HGTV shows earlier this year.
The outlet, which spoke to numerous sources who produce for the network, said HGTV averaged about 1.5 million viewers in 2017, citing Nielsen.
Since then, however, the network has struggled to gain an audience, with an average viewership last year of 773,000.
The American television database lists HGTV as the seventh most popular TV channel, with an average of 628,000 viewers.
According to Deadline’s story, the company has struggled to attract viewers ages 18 to 49 and lost 26% among that demographic last year.
In 2017 there were an average of 425,000 viewers aged 18 to 49, while in 2024 there were only 101,000.
The outlet noted that part of the reason for HGTV’s problems is the large budget required to produce and put on a home renovation show.
The overhaul shows reportedly cost more than $500,000 per episode.
One source told the outlet, “Home reno shows are expensive because all the materials are jacked up and delayed, the price of wood and marble and everything else goes up, so these shows don’t make much sense anymore.”
An unnamed producer who brings the network’s renovation shows to life said: “We had stuff not arriving on time; for example, we had wooden floors that were supposed to arrive within six weeks of starting production, and then we’re also dependent on contractors.
“Everyone knows that when you’re building your house, you never stay on budget. So try to apply that to a show with very strict budgets. Some of our episodes took 16 weeks to shoot; it’s more labor-intensive than a real estate show.”
Real estate shows reportedly cost around $200,000 to $300.00 per episode and take less time to film.
HGTV is also struggling to compete with social media creators who show off their DIY renovations on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Since June 18, the hosts of “Bargain Block,” “Married to Real Estate,” “Farmhouse Fixer” and “Izzy Does It” have all shared the heartbreaking news of the cancellation of their shows.
The following week, sources said that “Christina on the Coast” and “The Flipping El Moussas” had been given the ax by the network.
