In the past several weeks, HGTV has canceled seven series: Farmhouse Fixer, Bargain Block, Izzy Does It. Battle on the Beach, Christina on the Coast, The Flipping El Moussas, and Married to Real Estate – which garnered an Emmy nomination two weeks after it was canceled.
Fans of HGTV have been speculating about the reasoning for the cancellations, and what it may mean for the future of the network, which is also caught up in the ongoing plans to split Warner Bros Discovery into two publicly traded companies.
A source with knowledge of the inner workings told HELLO! that HGTV had also reached a point "where they were putting teams together that weren't knowledgeable about properties and so are losing audiences because of a lack of legitimacy".
In 2024 Galey Alix made a name for herself on social media while working as a Wall St exec during the day; she was given a HGTV series that debuted in April 2023 but the show ultimately ended after seven episodes. Tarek El-Moussa nabbed his first TV show, Flip of Flop, because he submitted an audition tape to the network that followed his very first flip.
© Gilles Mingasson/Getty ImagesIt's not just HGTV; Instant Dream Home on Netflix had the bones of a briliant home renovation show with experts in the background, but the focus remained on host Danielle Brooks, an actress.
And in a world of so-called fake news and distrust in the media? Your talent needs to have authority on their subject.
As Meghan Markle discovered with her Netflix series, With Love, a name can only get you so far, and in a world of rising costs, stagnant wages, and dislike of product placement, aspirational lifestyle shows need to reconcile themselves with the realities of the modern world.
© NetflixEmily Evans, a property expert with over 20 years of experience who has worked with the network, told HELLO!: "HGTV comes with a gravitas that a follower count can't buy, and they can regain their authority if they focus on trusted experts who have years of experience under their tool belts."
© SARAH RICEMelissa Schneider, co-founder and lead designer of Homes Innovation, added: "The shift toward overly produced, drama-heavy content has left viewers disconnected. What used to be inspiring design driven storytelling has become a formula of long winded conflicts and rushed reveals.
"You'd watch for an hour, only to get a 30-second glimpse of the final result. The sparkle, creativity, and focus on accessible design was the real reason people tuned in, and producers gave it a back seat which was a huge mistake."
With rental prices rising and fewer people buying houses, Melissa also suggests HGTV switch their focus to ideas that feel achievable to all – exactly the type of videos going viral on social media.
"Imagine a show that helps someone turn their bedroom into a vibey backdrop for Zoom calls or a budget-friendly podcast setup. Show us how to transform a space with $1,000 into something that looks like thousands of dollars, not another $150,000 kitchen remodel that feels completely out of reach," she said.
"There’s a world of untapped potential in everyday spaces, and it’s time HGTV gets back to dazzling us with big ideas, not just big budgets."
© HGTVRyan Meagher, a Business Development Manager with experience in hotel and residential construction, told HELLO! that utilizing short-form content across various platforms is the second key for networks to drive viewers to their shows, as well as create new "fans out of younger people who have shorter attention spans".
"They need to focus on more DIY projects and stuff that can be distilled into more manageable chunks of time (three minutes instead of 30 minutes) and is also more cost-effective for the people involved," he said.
One look at TikTok, YouTube and Instagram however, and it's clear that there is a wealth of millennial and boomer talent who have been quietly working in the industry and are now discovering an audience, and an income stream, through short-form content.
These are the people that HGTV need to be looking to, says Emily: "It is important for HGTV, like with all industries, to work with celebrities who can give an endorsement but in this fake news age, viewers want to trust what they are hearing and that's why HGTV needs to get back to working with builders and developers, and not just personalities."
