Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Media Studies senior capstone class (3:30 pm section) at Quinnipiac University. If you're looking for the latest on media industry trends and insightful media analysis, you've come to the right place!
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Lifestyle & Niche Media Blog 4, Question 1 (Feb. 20th)
What is the appeal of lifestyle and
niche cable TV channels and/or programming? How are these channels/programs
managing to retain viewers in the SVOD era?
Over the past several years the TV media landscape has wholeheartedly changed, as SVOD services are taking audiences and ratings away from traditional television programming. Television has had a few responses in order to compete with SVOD services and keep their audiences high and interested, such as the oversaturation of television with new shows and original content that SVOD services do not provide as much as. However, perhaps a more successful effect/response to SVOD services is the rise and heightened popularity of lifestyle and niche TV channels/programs. Lifestyle channels or programs being centered around watching a show about the life or a specific part of life of certain people week to week. While, niche television programs/channels show that “shows can survive despite appealing to a smaller piece of the population, another factor contributing to the changing metrics that define success is a shifting revenue model” because of their specific appeal (Lowry). An example of a successful lifestyle program/channel is HGTV. They are successful because “HGTV’s formula is relentlessly consistent: a shabby house gets a makeover, and a happy couple moves in. A variation on the theme -- house-flipping for fun and profit -- works too. The network has aired 23 different flipping shows over the past few years” (Smith). HGTV also seems to be consistently succeeding in the SVOD era because of specific elements that channel and its shows value and put into use. For one, HGTV keeps the cost of their shows relatively low, “without high-paid celebrities in scripted series, costs are low. HGTV makes 900 hours of original programming a year on a budget of about $400 million, according to SNL Kagan. Netflix, in contrast, spent at least $500 million on 600 hours of original shows in 2016” (Smith). Additionally, the inherent American values and realistic presentation of HGTV programs plays a role in their sustained popularity. Also, an example of a successful niche television channel/program is the Discovery Network, home to the popular program ‘Shark Week’. Discovery Network has been successful as a niche channel because, of their themed week schedule, that peaks the interests of specific groups of people with specific interests, such as ‘Shark Week’. They are looking to continue this success by, “adding another themed week to its schedule: "Motor Mega Week." It will [also] feature three new series premieres — Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings, Twin Turbos and Shifting Gears With Aaron Kaufman — along with a four-part, "supersized" series, Street Outlaws vs. Fast N' Loud: Build to Mega Race. The week also will feature four consecutive nights of programming focusing on epic car builds, culminating in the Mega Race finale as Fast N' Loud's Richard Rawlings and his Gas Monkey team take on the 405 crew from Street Outlaws” (Nordyke). This success seems to continue because of the success and popularity of ‘Shark Week’ growing the awareness of their other niche programs, and thus they continue to make more and more to exploit more and more specific groups of fans out there.
Works Cited Lowry, Brian. “'The Slap' May Help Rouse Networks to the Value of Niche.” Variety, 11 Feb. 2015, variety.com/2015/voices/news/nbcs-the-slap-could-move-networks-toward-quality-niche-shows-1201430339/.
Nordyke, Kimberly. “'Shark Week' Network Discovery Adding Another Themed Week to Schedule (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/shark-week-network-discovery-adding-themed-week-schedule-1077750.
Smith, Gerry. “HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 28 Dec. 2016, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-28/hgtv-will-never-upset-you-how-the-network-beat-cnn-in-2016.
Niche cable programming serves an important role in the world of televised and streamed entertainment by providing content tailored to small groups of consumers rather than for mass appeal. The small audiences that consume niche content tend to be fiercely loyal to their programming and very reliable when it comes to viewing new content, buying merchandise, and generating social media chatter. One particular type of niche programming that has seen incredible success over the last few years has been lifestyle content like that on HGTV and the Discovery Channel. Part of the appeal of these lifestyle programs is very clear: they are relatable. That is not to say that everybody in the United States who is watching HGTV is a homeowner, as the third most watched network in 2016, one would be foolish to assume anything about the network’s viewership as a whole (Desta). What does make these shows relatable, however, is the easily understandable objectives of each show. Though home improvement shows are reality television in nature, they embody an episodic structure more like a sitcom than a Jersey Shore, Floribama Shore, or any other shore. Most episodes of most home improvement shows have one clear conflict (making renovations, house hunting, or some sort of competition) that is wholly solved by the end. This structure makes the shows, which can are dry and repetitive in nature, addicting to a lot of consumers. Virginia Postrel of The New York Post discussed this observation in early January writing, there’s more to HGTV’s appeal than mere blandness. “It’s not easy to create content that people are passionate about and somewhat addicted to that is somewhat repetitive,” Ken Lowe, chief executive of parent company Scripps Networks Interactive Inc., told Smith. HGTV’s shows succeed because they tap deep longings. For starters, they’re intriguing. Rather than rely on conflict to engage viewers, they offer a small mystery: Which place will the house hunters choose? How will the renovation turn out? They keep you hanging on until the big reveal. The formula draws the viewer in, inviting speculations and judgments (Postrel). HGTV’s content is formulaic, repetitive, and bland. Its success seems to be somewhat of an anomaly, success that can be attributed to HGTV’s masterful technique of turning its greatest weaknesses into its greatest strengths. Consumers can be sure that they will not encounter any obscenity, profanity, or content that might otherwise make them uncomfortable while watching HGTV. The network has become somewhat of an escape from reality for the consumer taking a break from the hardships of day-to-day living to just sit around and wonder whether the couple on the show will love it, or list it. This is why despite extreme saturation in the market for original streamed and televised programming, HGTV continues to green light new seasons and shows to fill the ever persistent demand for an escape from the real world (O’Connell).
Works Cited Desta, Yohana. “HGTV Helped People Cope with the Apocalyptic Gloom of 2016.” HWD, Vanity Fair, 28 Dec. 2016, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/12/hgtv-2016-success. Postrel, Virginia. “The Fascinating Secrets of HGTV's Success.” New York Post, New York Post, 7 Jan. 2017, nypost.com/2017/01/07/the-fascinating-secrets-of-hgtvs-success/. O'Connell, Michael. “'Property Brothers' Ink New Deal to Stay Put at HGTV (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/property-brothers-ink-new-deal-stay-put-at-hgtv-1081061.
Lifestyle and niche cable TV channels are appealing because they’re an escape from real life, which isn’t always pretty these days. In “HGTV Will Never Upset you: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016”, author Gerry Smith talks about how celebrities even prefer HGTV because, in the words of Hillary Clinton, they’re “relaxing, entertaining and comfortable.” He goes on to talk about how HGTV is all about repetition. Couple looks for home, home gets a makeover, couple moves in. It doesn’t get boring because although its the same idea over and over again, it’s completely different at the same time. The houses are different, the design is different, the hosts are different and the couples are different. So although the viewer knows the couple will be happy in the end, they don’t know what the house will look like which is the “surprise ending” that we watch for. I’m 22. I’m far from being in the market for a house, but I love a good House Hunters marathon. I’m not alone, either. In “Why Millennials are Obsessed with HGTV”, author Melody Hahm reports that Gen Z and millennials make up 55% of HGTV’s audience. For those 30 minutes, viewers get to pretend they are looking for a house in Savannah, Georgia for their family of five without having to leave their house. And when that 30 minutes is over, they get to pretend they’re looking for a house in Seattle for themselves and their dog. HGTV’s success is due in part to its ability to keep costs low. Going back to its hit show House Hunters, it costs next to nothing to produce compared to other hit shows. There’s just a couple and a realtor to compensate, plus a film crew to send to whatever location they’re going to. That’s it. No fancy sets or costumes, expensive stars or directors. “Fixer Upper”, another hit from HGTV, shows a very lovable couple, Chip & Joanna, flipping houses. This show catapulted the Gaineses to insane fame. They now have books, a store in Waco, a line at Target and more. As far as retaining viewers in this SVOD era, the Scripps Network decided to pull all of their programming from Netflix as reported by Variety, saying “In the end, it really is not the kind of dual-revenue model that best monetizes our content over the long term.” The article goes on to say that HGTV has made it a point to get their channels on cable replacement services that cord cutters usually end up subscribing to like DirecTV Now and Sling TV. Only time will tell how sustainable these are, but for now, HGTV isn’t going anywhere.
Hahm, Melody. "Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV," Yahoo Finance 13 Nov. 2017. Web. Smith, Gerry. "HGTV Will Never Upset You - How the Network Beat CNN in 2016." Bloomburg 28 Dec. 2016. Web. Spangler, Todd. “Netflix Losing Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel Shows at End of 2016.” Variety 9 Nov. 2016. Web.
Over the past several years the TV media landscape has wholeheartedly changed, as SVOD services are taking audiences and ratings away from traditional television programming. Television has had a few responses in order to compete with SVOD services and keep their audiences high and interested, such as the oversaturation of television with new shows and original content that SVOD services do not provide as much as. However, perhaps a more successful effect/response to SVOD services is the rise and heightened popularity of lifestyle and niche TV channels/programs. Lifestyle channels or programs being centered around watching a show about the life or a specific part of life of certain people week to week. While, niche television programs/channels show that “shows can survive despite appealing to a smaller piece of the population, another factor contributing to the changing metrics that define success is a shifting revenue model” because of their specific appeal (Lowry).
ReplyDeleteAn example of a successful lifestyle program/channel is HGTV. They are successful because “HGTV’s formula is relentlessly consistent: a shabby house gets a makeover, and a happy couple moves in. A variation on the theme -- house-flipping for fun and profit -- works too. The network has aired 23 different flipping shows over the past few years” (Smith). HGTV also seems to be consistently succeeding in the SVOD era because of specific elements that channel and its shows value and put into use. For one, HGTV keeps the cost of their shows relatively low, “without high-paid celebrities in scripted series, costs are low. HGTV makes 900 hours of original programming a year on a budget of about $400 million, according to SNL Kagan. Netflix, in contrast, spent at least $500 million on 600 hours of original shows in 2016” (Smith). Additionally, the inherent American values and realistic presentation of HGTV programs plays a role in their sustained popularity.
Also, an example of a successful niche television channel/program is the Discovery Network, home to the popular program ‘Shark Week’. Discovery Network has been successful as a niche channel because, of their themed week schedule, that peaks the interests of specific groups of people with specific interests, such as ‘Shark Week’. They are looking to continue this success by, “adding another themed week to its schedule: "Motor Mega Week." It will [also] feature three new series premieres — Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings, Twin Turbos and Shifting Gears With Aaron Kaufman — along with a four-part, "supersized" series, Street Outlaws vs. Fast N' Loud: Build to Mega Race. The week also will feature four consecutive nights of programming focusing on epic car builds, culminating in the Mega Race finale as Fast N' Loud's Richard Rawlings and his Gas Monkey team take on the 405 crew from Street Outlaws” (Nordyke). This success seems to continue because of the success and popularity of ‘Shark Week’ growing the awareness of their other niche programs, and thus they continue to make more and more to exploit more and more specific groups of fans out there.
Works Cited
Lowry, Brian. “'The Slap' May Help Rouse Networks to the Value of Niche.” Variety, 11 Feb. 2015, variety.com/2015/voices/news/nbcs-the-slap-could-move-networks-toward-quality-niche-shows-1201430339/.
Nordyke, Kimberly. “'Shark Week' Network Discovery Adding Another Themed Week to Schedule (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/shark-week-network-discovery-adding-themed-week-schedule-1077750.
Smith, Gerry. “HGTV Will Never Upset You: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 28 Dec. 2016, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-28/hgtv-will-never-upset-you-how-the-network-beat-cnn-in-2016.
Niche cable programming serves an important role in the world of televised and streamed entertainment by providing content tailored to small groups of consumers rather than for mass appeal. The small audiences that consume niche content tend to be fiercely loyal to their programming and very reliable when it comes to viewing new content, buying merchandise, and generating social media chatter. One particular type of niche programming that has seen incredible success over the last few years has been lifestyle content like that on HGTV and the Discovery Channel. Part of the appeal of these lifestyle programs is very clear: they are relatable. That is not to say that everybody in the United States who is watching HGTV is a homeowner, as the third most watched network in 2016, one would be foolish to assume anything about the network’s viewership as a whole (Desta). What does make these shows relatable, however, is the easily understandable objectives of each show. Though home improvement shows are reality television in nature, they embody an episodic structure more like a sitcom than a Jersey Shore, Floribama Shore, or any other shore. Most episodes of most home improvement shows have one clear conflict (making renovations, house hunting, or some sort of competition) that is wholly solved by the end. This structure makes the shows, which can are dry and repetitive in nature, addicting to a lot of consumers. Virginia Postrel of The New York Post discussed this observation in early January writing,
ReplyDeletethere’s more to HGTV’s appeal than mere blandness. “It’s not easy to create content that people are passionate about and somewhat addicted to that is somewhat repetitive,” Ken Lowe, chief executive of parent company Scripps Networks Interactive Inc., told Smith. HGTV’s shows succeed because they tap deep longings. For starters, they’re intriguing. Rather than rely on conflict to engage viewers, they offer a small mystery: Which place will the house hunters choose? How will the renovation turn out? They keep you hanging on until the big reveal. The formula draws the viewer in, inviting speculations and judgments (Postrel).
HGTV’s content is formulaic, repetitive, and bland. Its success seems to be somewhat of an anomaly, success that can be attributed to HGTV’s masterful technique of turning its greatest weaknesses into its greatest strengths. Consumers can be sure that they will not encounter any obscenity, profanity, or content that might otherwise make them uncomfortable while watching HGTV. The network has become somewhat of an escape from reality for the consumer taking a break from the hardships of day-to-day living to just sit around and wonder whether the couple on the show will love it, or list it. This is why despite extreme saturation in the market for original streamed and televised programming, HGTV continues to green light new seasons and shows to fill the ever persistent demand for an escape from the real world (O’Connell).
Works Cited
Desta, Yohana. “HGTV Helped People Cope with the Apocalyptic Gloom of 2016.” HWD, Vanity Fair, 28 Dec. 2016, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/12/hgtv-2016-success.
Postrel, Virginia. “The Fascinating Secrets of HGTV's Success.” New York Post, New York Post, 7 Jan. 2017, nypost.com/2017/01/07/the-fascinating-secrets-of-hgtvs-success/.
O'Connell, Michael. “'Property Brothers' Ink New Deal to Stay Put at HGTV (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/property-brothers-ink-new-deal-stay-put-at-hgtv-1081061.
Lifestyle and niche cable TV channels are appealing because they’re an escape from real life, which isn’t always pretty these days. In “HGTV Will Never Upset you: How the Network Beat CNN in 2016”, author Gerry Smith talks about how celebrities even prefer HGTV because, in the words of Hillary Clinton, they’re “relaxing, entertaining and comfortable.” He goes on to talk about how HGTV is all about repetition. Couple looks for home, home gets a makeover, couple moves in. It doesn’t get boring because although its the same idea over and over again, it’s completely different at the same time. The houses are different, the design is different, the hosts are different and the couples are different. So although the viewer knows the couple will be happy in the end, they don’t know what the house will look like which is the “surprise ending” that we watch for.
ReplyDeleteI’m 22. I’m far from being in the market for a house, but I love a good House Hunters marathon. I’m not alone, either. In “Why Millennials are Obsessed with HGTV”, author Melody Hahm reports that Gen Z and millennials make up 55% of HGTV’s audience. For those 30 minutes, viewers get to pretend they are looking for a house in Savannah, Georgia for their family of five without having to leave their house. And when that 30 minutes is over, they get to pretend they’re looking for a house in Seattle for themselves and their dog.
HGTV’s success is due in part to its ability to keep costs low. Going back to its hit show House Hunters, it costs next to nothing to produce compared to other hit shows. There’s just a couple and a realtor to compensate, plus a film crew to send to whatever location they’re going to. That’s it. No fancy sets or costumes, expensive stars or directors. “Fixer Upper”, another hit from HGTV, shows a very lovable couple, Chip & Joanna, flipping houses. This show catapulted the Gaineses to insane fame. They now have books, a store in Waco, a line at Target and more.
As far as retaining viewers in this SVOD era, the Scripps Network decided to pull all of their programming from Netflix as reported by Variety, saying “In the end, it really is not the kind of dual-revenue model that best monetizes our content over the long term.” The article goes on to say that HGTV has made it a point to get their channels on cable replacement services that cord cutters usually end up subscribing to like DirecTV Now and Sling TV. Only time will tell how sustainable these are, but for now, HGTV isn’t going anywhere.
Hahm, Melody. "Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV," Yahoo Finance 13 Nov. 2017. Web.
Smith, Gerry. "HGTV Will Never Upset You - How the Network Beat CNN in 2016." Bloomburg 28 Dec. 2016. Web.
Spangler, Todd. “Netflix Losing Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel Shows at End of 2016.” Variety 9 Nov. 2016. Web.