What is the appeal of lifestyle and
niche cable TV networks and/or programming? How are these networks/programs
managing to remain viable in the SVOD era? Limit: 7 responses
Lifestyle and niche cable TV networks have quite the appeal to millennials and young people in today’ consumer media market. But why? Shows like “Fixer Upper” and “Property Brothers” are incredibly popular with millennials in the market for (or at least interested in) buying a house. That being said, the cost of living and a difficult job market often curtail home ownership forcing many to rent and live in less than ideal places.
According to an article on Yahoo News, shows like that on home improvement channels like HGTV a “mindless escape” and “that 20- and 30-somethings find themselves watching episodes on repeat, keeping it on in the background while they cook or get ready for a night out” (Hahm, 1). This “mindless escape” aspect is especially popular in the wake of having the option to watch these shows at one's convenience with on demand cable options. In addition to this, lifestyle programming is popular due to a certain fantasy element behind it. Shows like “Fixer Upper” and “House Hunters” allow viewers that may be renting or living in less than ideal places to “witness how a dilapidated dump can become a sophisticated and enviable home”. Viewers are subject to this fantasy effect with the aspiration of doing what their on-screen counterparts are doing: building beautiful homes, remodeling current ones, and overall improving their living space.
Aside from appealing content, lifestyle programming is much easier to produce than scripted programming. According to Kathleen Finch, Discovery’s Chief Lifestyle Brand officer, "We operate every single day just wanting to grab as many eyeballs as we do,” she said. “We have premieres on every single night. We don't have a lag time. We don't have repeats. One benefit of unscripted content over scripted content is that it's not as expensive to make. We can make 800 hours of original programming a year per network” (O’Connell, 1). Not having any ‘down time” so to say allows unscripted programming to come out at a fast, constant flow.
Although lifestyle and niche programming is widely available on cable TV, these companies are looking to social media to expand their audiences to remain viable in the SVOD era. For example, Scripps, the parent company to HGTV launched a brand called “Handmade” by HGTV “which has amassed 2.3 million Facebook followers and 320,000 YouTube subs” (Hahm, 1). In addition to this, HGTV has struck a deal with Snapchat, planning on launching more original shows on the app. This unloading on social media doesn’t come without recognition either: According to the HGTV site, “Handmade” has surpassed 500,000 subscribers and has been nominated for a Webby Award (Yonker, 1). Even without social media, Yahoo writer Melody Hahm concludes her article saying that millennials will still be attracted to their programming because “they’re growing up and are looking for shows that can both entertain and instruct them”, which seems to be doing just fine in getting viewership.
Works Cited
O'Connell, Michael. “Discovery's Kathleen Finch Reveals the Perks and Pains of Counter-Programming an Election Year.” The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-networks-lifestyles-boss-reveals-pros-cons-cable-an-election-year-1274113.
Hahm, Melody. “Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov. 2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.
Yonker, Jessica. “HGTV Handmade Just Reached 500K Subscribers, So We Made You a Gift!” HGTV, 2019, www.hgtv.com/shows/hgtv-handmade/articles/hgtv-handmade-just-reached-500k-followers-so-we-made-you-a-gift.
Niche cable TV networks are at a crossroads that they have never faced before. Streaming is taking over cable television at rapid rates, and networks are struggling to keep up. However, these niche networks seem to be succeeding even more than most of their mass-appeal counterparts. Why is it that these networks are succeeding in a time when Cable is taking a dive? Young people love this programing and it’s no secret that this demographic is providing a life raft to the unlikely giants of cable. One of these shows is TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé. This program depicts immigrants coming to the United States to gain citizenship through marriage. The only catch is that they have never met the people they are marrying, and most have nothing in common with each other. Obviously, this show has tons of drama and is full of dysfunctional relationships, most of which end in divorce or the marriage getting called off. This unexpected boom is described in an article by Bloomberg, “The success of the series has returned the network to the prominence it last enjoyed during the 2007-09 heyday of hit reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8. TLC saw a 13% increase in viewership in 2019, the largest bump of any basic cable channel.” (Du Plessis). So why would young people watch this show, and other silly TLC shows enough to keep not only the show, but the whole network afloat? It’s because in this age, young people value quick, easily consumable media that they can binge in the background. This can be seen with shows such as “The Bachelor,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.” These shows succeed based on their drama factor along with their ability to keep a quick pace to the show and not focus on one thing for too long. A lot of Niche services are also succeeding in the streaming industry. It’s not often that we hear about smaller SVOD services succeeding in the new but super competitive industry. Notable platforms like Crunchyroll and BroadwayHD are attracting smaller audiences, but it’s enough to keep them afloat. One great example of this is WWE Network. This service has about 1.5 million subscribers. (Weprin) It’s a small grab, WWE Network relies on a different value proposition than all of the streaming giants. They offer very specific programing that is cheap to make since they already have rights to the content, and they have no competition either. They are able to cater to their small but passionate market of wrestling fans and no other service, even the giants, have this ability. It’s a safer game than the one that the large streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are playing.
Blas, Lorena. “Niche Cable Networks Target Diverse Audiences.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 2 Nov. 2016, www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/11/01/niche-cable-networks-target-diverse-audiences/92856688/.
Du Plessis, Andre-Pierre. “TLC’s 90-Day Fiancé Is a Hit Thanks to Spellbinding Acrimony.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/-90-day-fianc-is-a-hit-as-national-tv-ratings-are-down.
Weprin, Alex. “Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/do-niche-streamers-fit-a-sea-services-1253172?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_2019-11-08 07:05:00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
HGTV is one of those channels that I can sit and watch all day, whether its Property Brothers, House Hunters International or Love it or List it. But why would a college student who is thousands of dollars in debt, be interested in seeing something that is somewhat unattainable for them? The answer is simple, and that is the content is relatable and relevant. People will always outgrow certain types of content that were once favorable to them such as cartoons, Disney Channel, some reality TV shows, teen dramas because it no longer becomes relevant or relatable to them. However, it’s hard to outgrow things that you’ll probably experience as your life goes on, which is where the success of lifestyle and niche programming gets its success from.
Lifestyle and niche cable TV networks have been providing content that never goes out of style, and it is considered `mindless’. When referring to HGTV, Hahm sums it up best by stating that it is a “mindless escape with manufactured or really silly ‘drama’ It’s easy to watch them while doing other things, too” (Hahm 2017). She suggests that there is a fantasy element to a lot of HGTV’s content which “allows them to imagine an alternate existence” and see just how good their life could be as a future homeowner. This fantasy element can also be applied to TLC’s shows like “Four Weddings” and “Say Yes to The Dress” which allow us to plan our nonexistent weddings and decide what we do and don’t want our weddings to look like. We continue to watch because not only is it a fantasy, but it is relatable content for millennials and Gen Z, because in the perfect world, most people plan to move out of their parents’ house and get married.
When it comes to more relevant shows, “TLC’s 90-Day Fiancé” is something that although it is focused on a serious topic such as immigration, there is an element of drama to it. Du Plessis of Bloomberg sums it up best saying; “The fast track to U.S. citizenship fills the show with tension, misunderstanding, and drama” (Du Plessis 2020). That little bit of drama makes for good reality TV, but it’s different because these are people’s real lives, so it’s more interesting for people. With this type of content, “TLC saw a 13% increase in viewership in 2019, the largest bump of any basic cable channel” (Du Plessis 2020).
When it comes to remaining viable in the SVOD era, lifestyle and niche networks/programs are choosing to not only offer relatable and relevant programming, but they are also providing their watchers with the opportunity to watch their programming on demand with no commercials and are moving to online video services where it is available for a bigger audience. These lifestyle/niche networks already have a key element and that is a “well-formed active fan community” (Angus 2019). Angus also goes on to mention that another element that makes these smaller Niche programming successful is that, “[they] don’t just need tons of content, [they] need a crystal-clear identity” which networks like TLC and HGTV have (Angus 2019). Overall, as long as there’s a big enough audience and some relatability factor, niche and lifestyle networks will almost always remain viable in the SVOD era. You could even say that it is the one thing holding cable subscriptions up.
Works Cited Angus, Gregor. “Is Niche Enough to Make An OTT Service Work?” Multichannel, 18 Feb. 2019, www.multichannel.com/blog/is-niche-enough-to-make-an-ott-service-work. Du Plessis, Andre-Pierre. “TLC’s 90-Day Fiancé Is a Hit Thanks to Spellbinding Acrimony.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, Feb. 2020, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/-90-day-fianc-is-a-hit-as-national-tv-ratings-are-down. Hahm, Melody. "Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV," Yahoo Finance 13 Nov. 2017. Web.
Lifestyle and niche cable TV networks have continued to thrive throughout the years due to their unique programming, simplicity in content, and their appeal to younger audiences. According to an article from Yahoo Finance, Gen Z and millenials account for 55% of HGTV’s audience (Hahm, 2017).
Niche programs are able to appeal to people with their own specific interests, such as cooking or home renovation, and give glimpses into the lives of many unique and interesting people in the world, like with TLC’s Welcome To Plathville and 1000-lb Sisters.
A major part of the appeal for this kind of programming is the appeal to fantasy and escapism it can have for its viewers. In a time where the constantly moving political cycle and general stresses of life can prove to be overwhelming for many, shows like “Fixer Upper” and “Property Brothers” allow anxious millenials to shut off their brain for a bit and imagine themselves living in the lavish homes they see on TV. “A lot of what brings people to our networks is the predictability, the resolutions,” says Discovery’s Chief Lifestyle Brand officer, Kathleen Finch. “Even on [true-crime-focused] ID, it's not a happy story always, but there's a promise to the viewers that there will be a resolution, so a lot of viewers come to us when they've just had enough of bad news” (O’Connell, 2020).
Like every other television network in the streaming era, networks like HGTV and TLC are looking to expand their reach further beyond cable television in order to keep themselves relevant with their younger audiences.
With companies like Netflix and Hulu holding the lion’s share of streaming subscription, many of these more niche streaming services have had to get a bit more creative with how they build their audience. A good example of this is CuriosityStream, a nonfiction streaming service, who, according to an article from The Hollywood Reporter, have struck deals with various cable providers to offer their services at no extra cost to internet customers (Weprin, 2019).
TLC’s own YouTube channel has also become very popular, boasting over 5.1 million subscribers and having many of their videos receive over one million views. On this channel, TLC posts short (typically <10 minutes long) clips from popular shows like 90 Day Fiance and Extreme Cheapskates, giving viewers a taste of what their shows have to offer and potentially coax them into watching more of their shows streaming on Hulu or their own service, TLC GO.
While finding true success in the streaming era can be hard for many networks, niche networks will always have their own unique appeal, especially with younger audiences, which will most certainly help carry them through this massive change in the television industry.
Works Cited
Hahm, Melody. “Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov. 2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.
O'Connell, Michael. “Discovery's Kathleen Finch Reveals the Perks and Pains of Counter-Programming an Election Year.” The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-networks-lifestyles-boss-reveals-pros-cons-cable-an-election-year-1274113.
Weprin, Alex. “Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/do-niche-streamers-fit-a-sea-services-1253172?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_2019-11-08%2B07%3A05%3A00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Lifestyle and niche cable TV networks are in a tough, but manageable part of their existence. With the SVOD era becoming so overpowering and forcing many smaller TV networks out of business, there are smaller niche groups that have managed to stay afloat. The reason for this is mainly because the niche group may be smaller, but they have a very powerful backing from their viewers/followers. Smaller networks like the WWE, HGTV, and AMC networks have to fight to stay alive and use different methods in order to bring their loyal viewers back to their platforms. The bigger services like Disney+, Apple TV, and Netflix don’t need to do anything crazy to get viewers they just have to put their service out there and viewers will come. For the smaller services they have to get creative on how to draw in viewers. In the article Where Do Niche Streamers Fit In a Sea of Services? By Alex Weprin he says, “To help spur early growth, niche services are using the targeting capabilities of tech giants like Amazon, Roku and Apple to drive new subscriptions (in exchange for a cut of revenue). AMC Networks is among the companies that make their services available through these intermediaries” (Weprin) This shows the different methods that the smaller niche markets are taking to survive in the streaming wars.
The other huge thing that is helping the small niche networks survive is their loyal backers. Although the groups may be smaller, they have such loyal fans that they will do almost anything to get their content. For example, the WWE, they released the WWE network who have a much smaller following with around 1.5 million subscriptions. (Weprin) The WWE is a niche market that will always have a loyal backing and even if their events are no longer televised their viewers and followers are going to need to find their content somewhere else. I think this is enough to help keep the WWE afloat.
HGTV is another smaller niche network that is doing very well with millennials. To me this is not surprising at all. HGTV is the perfect network for what millennials need at this point in their lives, most are getting houses, starting to cook their own meals, or even just now becoming more interested in interior design. In the article Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV the author says, “HGTV marries practical tips and tricks with a bit of intrigue — like any good reality TV does. This means that 20- and 30-somethings find themselves watching episodes on repeat, keeping it on in the background while they cook or get ready for a night out. “The HGTV shows are a mindless escape with manufactured or really silly ‘drama.’ It’s easy to watch them while doing other things, too. Plus, there are so many different episodes on demand, so I can watch them whenever and without commercials. My boyfriend and I have super different tastes in TV shows, but we both agree that we really enjoy HGTV,” said 26-year-old Jocelyn Jezierny, a lawyer based in D.C.” (Hahm). This quote, in my opinion just describes millennials and Gen Z perfectly, most are just looking for a simple show to watch to escape from their chaotic lives for 20-30 minutes without having to be insanely focused on what they’re watching. I personally believe these sort of niche networks will always have a role in the TV world, whether it is small or large is to be determined in the coming years.
Weprin, Alex. “Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/do-niche-streamers-fit-a-sea-services-1253172?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_2019-11-08 07:05:00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Hahm, Melody. “Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov. 2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.
It seems as though lifestyle and niche shows have become the most popular types of shows recently. This is surprising because we live in an era where streaming and video on demand have really taken over in terms of television and content consumption. Homes have taken steps to move towards these platforms because these streaming services boast an impressive back catalog. However, lifestyle channels such as HGTV and TLC have remained steady. I personally relate to this because my entire family has at least one show on TLC or HGTV that they follow intently. When looking at the popularity of HGTV it shows that the “the most recent Nielsen ratings, HGTV is the fourth-most-watched cable network in the United States, averaging more than 1.6 million viewers overall.” (Barger). I think the reason why HGTV is popular among millenials is that we are starting to enter the process of buying and upgrading homes. HGTV is a way for them to get ideas on how they can make their homes better. It facilitates a lot of creativity as decorating and furnishing a home is very difficult. I would categorize their shows as “easy watching” as they provide good background noise while still being entertaining. A great way to explain it is “20- and 30-somethings find themselves watching episodes on repeat, keeping it on in the background while they cook or get ready for a night out.” (Hahm). I typically have a network that is played constantly in the background and HGTV is typically that one. I feel as though networks such as HGTV and TLC provide a sort of authenticity to their shows that are hard to replicate. Shows about daily struggles such as home improvement and dating are very common problems that almost all of us face in some way or another. I find that TLC has shows that are very current with the times going on. For example, 90 Day Fiance is a show that relates very much to today’s political climate. The reason why I feel as though this show is popular is “despite a political climate that’s hostile to immigration” (Plessis). What I mean by this is that the show has a lot of drama just because of the nature of the show as well as political drama. Politics are a huge topic in the country at the moment and being able to infuse that into their most popular shows is a guarantee for success.
In conclusion, I feel as though niche channels such as HGTV and TLC are so popular in an era dominated by streaming is the familiarity of their content. They talk about topics that are familiar to millenials that make their shows resonate with them on a personal level. Dating life and home improvement are topics that are certainly prevalent in that demographic and being able to have content that shows this type of familiarity while providing insightful ideas will definitely lead to success. They remain a viable option because they broadcast several “easy watching” shows that are very helpful to people in similar situations.
Barger, Jennifer. “As Seen on TV: Home Makeover Shows Have Totally Upended Homeowners' Expectations.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 10 May 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/as-seen-on-tv-many-homeowners-find-inspiration-in-home-makeover-programs/2018/05/09/38f754e8-4b1c-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html.
John McMahon Blog 4
ReplyDeleteLifestyle and niche cable TV networks have quite the appeal to millennials and young people in today’ consumer media market. But why? Shows like “Fixer Upper” and “Property Brothers” are incredibly popular with millennials in the market for (or at least interested in) buying a house. That being said, the cost of living and a difficult job market often curtail home ownership forcing many to rent and live in less than ideal places.
According to an article on Yahoo News, shows like that on home improvement channels like HGTV a “mindless escape” and “that 20- and 30-somethings find themselves watching episodes on repeat, keeping it on in the background while they cook or get ready for a night out” (Hahm, 1). This “mindless escape” aspect is especially popular in the wake of having the option to watch these shows at one's convenience with on demand cable options. In addition to this, lifestyle programming is popular due to a certain fantasy element behind it. Shows like “Fixer Upper” and “House Hunters” allow viewers that may be renting or living in less than ideal places to “witness how a dilapidated dump can become a sophisticated and enviable home”. Viewers are subject to this fantasy effect with the aspiration of doing what their on-screen counterparts are doing: building beautiful homes, remodeling current ones, and overall improving their living space.
Aside from appealing content, lifestyle programming is much easier to produce than scripted programming. According to Kathleen Finch, Discovery’s Chief Lifestyle Brand officer, "We operate every single day just wanting to grab as many eyeballs as we do,” she said. “We have premieres on every single night. We don't have a lag time. We don't have repeats. One benefit of unscripted content over scripted content is that it's not as expensive to make. We can make 800 hours of original programming a year per network” (O’Connell, 1). Not having any ‘down time” so to say allows unscripted programming to come out at a fast, constant flow.
Although lifestyle and niche programming is widely available on cable TV, these companies are looking to social media to expand their audiences to remain viable in the SVOD era. For example, Scripps, the parent company to HGTV launched a brand called “Handmade” by HGTV “which has amassed 2.3 million Facebook followers and 320,000 YouTube subs” (Hahm, 1). In addition to this, HGTV has struck a deal with Snapchat, planning on launching more original shows on the app. This unloading on social media doesn’t come without recognition either: According to the HGTV site, “Handmade” has surpassed 500,000 subscribers and has been nominated for a Webby Award (Yonker, 1). Even without social media, Yahoo writer Melody Hahm concludes her article saying that millennials will still be attracted to their programming because “they’re growing up and are looking for shows that can both entertain and instruct them”, which seems to be doing just fine in getting viewership.
Works Cited
O'Connell, Michael. “Discovery's Kathleen Finch Reveals the Perks and Pains of Counter-Programming an Election Year.” The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-networks-lifestyles-boss-reveals-pros-cons-cable-an-election-year-1274113.
Hahm, Melody. “Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov. 2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.
Yonker, Jessica. “HGTV Handmade Just Reached 500K Subscribers, So We Made You a Gift!” HGTV, 2019, www.hgtv.com/shows/hgtv-handmade/articles/hgtv-handmade-just-reached-500k-followers-so-we-made-you-a-gift.
Niche cable TV networks are at a crossroads that they have never faced before. Streaming is taking over cable television at rapid rates, and networks are struggling to keep up. However, these niche networks seem to be succeeding even more than most of their mass-appeal counterparts. Why is it that these networks are succeeding in a time when Cable is taking a dive? Young people love this programing and it’s no secret that this demographic is providing a life raft to the unlikely giants of cable.
ReplyDeleteOne of these shows is TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé. This program depicts immigrants coming to the United States to gain citizenship through marriage. The only catch is that they have never met the people they are marrying, and most have nothing in common with each other. Obviously, this show has tons of drama and is full of dysfunctional relationships, most of which end in divorce or the marriage getting called off. This unexpected boom is described in an article by Bloomberg, “The success of the series has returned the network to the prominence it last enjoyed during the 2007-09 heyday of hit reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8. TLC saw a 13% increase in viewership in 2019, the largest bump of any basic cable channel.” (Du Plessis). So why would young people watch this show, and other silly TLC shows enough to keep not only the show, but the whole network afloat? It’s because in this age, young people value quick, easily consumable media that they can binge in the background. This can be seen with shows such as “The Bachelor,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Keeping Up with The Kardashians.” These shows succeed based on their drama factor along with their ability to keep a quick pace to the show and not focus on one thing for too long.
A lot of Niche services are also succeeding in the streaming industry. It’s not often that we hear about smaller SVOD services succeeding in the new but super competitive industry. Notable platforms like Crunchyroll and BroadwayHD are attracting smaller audiences, but it’s enough to keep them afloat. One great example of this is WWE Network. This service has about 1.5 million subscribers. (Weprin) It’s a small grab, WWE Network relies on a different value proposition than all of the streaming giants. They offer very specific programing that is cheap to make since they already have rights to the content, and they have no competition either. They are able to cater to their small but passionate market of wrestling fans and no other service, even the giants, have this ability. It’s a safer game than the one that the large streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are playing.
Blas, Lorena. “Niche Cable Networks Target Diverse Audiences.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 2 Nov. 2016, www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2016/11/01/niche-cable-networks-target-diverse-audiences/92856688/.
Du Plessis, Andre-Pierre. “TLC’s 90-Day Fiancé Is a Hit Thanks to Spellbinding Acrimony.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/-90-day-fianc-is-a-hit-as-national-tv-ratings-are-down.
Weprin, Alex. “Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/do-niche-streamers-fit-a-sea-services-1253172?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_2019-11-08 07:05:00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
HGTV is one of those channels that I can sit and watch all day, whether its Property Brothers, House Hunters International or Love it or List it. But why would a college student who is thousands of dollars in debt, be interested in seeing something that is somewhat unattainable for them? The answer is simple, and that is the content is relatable and relevant. People will always outgrow certain types of content that were once favorable to them such as cartoons, Disney Channel, some reality TV shows, teen dramas because it no longer becomes relevant or relatable to them. However, it’s hard to outgrow things that you’ll probably experience as your life goes on, which is where the success of lifestyle and niche programming gets its success from.
ReplyDeleteLifestyle and niche cable TV networks have been providing content that never goes out of style, and it is considered `mindless’. When referring to HGTV, Hahm sums it up best by stating that it is a “mindless escape with manufactured or really silly ‘drama’ It’s easy to watch them while doing other things, too” (Hahm 2017).
She suggests that there is a fantasy element to a lot of HGTV’s content which “allows them to imagine an alternate existence” and see just how good their life could be as a future homeowner.
This fantasy element can also be applied to TLC’s shows like “Four Weddings” and “Say Yes to The Dress” which allow us to plan our nonexistent weddings and decide what we do and don’t want our weddings to look like. We continue to watch because not only is it a fantasy, but it is relatable content for millennials and Gen Z, because in the perfect world, most people plan to move out of their parents’ house and get married.
When it comes to more relevant shows, “TLC’s 90-Day Fiancé” is something that although it is focused on a serious topic such as immigration, there is an element of drama to it. Du Plessis of Bloomberg sums it up best saying; “The fast track to U.S. citizenship fills the show with tension, misunderstanding, and drama” (Du Plessis 2020). That little bit of drama makes for good reality TV, but it’s different because these are people’s real lives, so it’s more interesting for people. With this type of content, “TLC saw a 13% increase in viewership in 2019, the largest bump of any basic cable channel” (Du Plessis 2020).
When it comes to remaining viable in the SVOD era, lifestyle and niche networks/programs are choosing to not only offer relatable and relevant programming, but they are also providing their watchers with the opportunity to watch their programming on demand with no commercials and are moving to online video services where it is available for a bigger audience. These lifestyle/niche networks already have a key element and that is a “well-formed active fan community” (Angus 2019). Angus also goes on to mention that another element that makes these smaller Niche programming successful is that, “[they] don’t just need tons of content, [they] need a crystal-clear identity” which networks like TLC and HGTV have (Angus 2019). Overall, as long as there’s a big enough audience and some relatability factor, niche and lifestyle networks will almost always remain viable in the SVOD era. You could even say that it is the one thing holding cable subscriptions up.
Works Cited
Angus, Gregor. “Is Niche Enough to Make An OTT Service Work?” Multichannel, 18 Feb. 2019, www.multichannel.com/blog/is-niche-enough-to-make-an-ott-service-work.
Du Plessis, Andre-Pierre. “TLC’s 90-Day Fiancé Is a Hit Thanks to Spellbinding Acrimony.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, Feb. 2020, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/-90-day-fianc-is-a-hit-as-national-tv-ratings-are-down.
Hahm, Melody. "Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV," Yahoo Finance 13 Nov. 2017. Web.
Dylan Lewis
ReplyDeleteLifestyle and niche cable TV networks have continued to thrive throughout the years due to their unique programming, simplicity in content, and their appeal to younger audiences. According to an article from Yahoo Finance, Gen Z and millenials account for 55% of HGTV’s audience (Hahm, 2017).
Niche programs are able to appeal to people with their own specific interests, such as cooking or home renovation, and give glimpses into the lives of many unique and interesting people in the world, like with TLC’s Welcome To Plathville and 1000-lb Sisters.
A major part of the appeal for this kind of programming is the appeal to fantasy and escapism it can have for its viewers. In a time where the constantly moving political cycle and general stresses of life can prove to be overwhelming for many, shows like “Fixer Upper” and “Property Brothers” allow anxious millenials to shut off their brain for a bit and imagine themselves living in the lavish homes they see on TV. “A lot of what brings people to our networks is the predictability, the resolutions,” says Discovery’s Chief Lifestyle Brand officer, Kathleen Finch. “Even on [true-crime-focused] ID, it's not a happy story always, but there's a promise to the viewers that there will be a resolution, so a lot of viewers come to us when they've just had enough of bad news” (O’Connell, 2020).
Like every other television network in the streaming era, networks like HGTV and TLC are looking to expand their reach further beyond cable television in order to keep themselves relevant with their younger audiences.
With companies like Netflix and Hulu holding the lion’s share of streaming subscription, many of these more niche streaming services have had to get a bit more creative with how they build their audience. A good example of this is CuriosityStream, a nonfiction streaming service, who, according to an article from The Hollywood Reporter, have struck deals with various cable providers to offer their services at no extra cost to internet customers (Weprin, 2019).
TLC’s own YouTube channel has also become very popular, boasting over 5.1 million subscribers and having many of their videos receive over one million views. On this channel, TLC posts short (typically <10 minutes long) clips from popular shows like 90 Day Fiance and Extreme Cheapskates, giving viewers a taste of what their shows have to offer and potentially coax them into watching more of their shows streaming on Hulu or their own service, TLC GO.
While finding true success in the streaming era can be hard for many networks, niche networks will always have their own unique appeal, especially with younger audiences, which will most certainly help carry them through this massive change in the television industry.
Works Cited
Hahm, Melody. “Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov.
2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.
O'Connell, Michael. “Discovery's Kathleen Finch Reveals the Perks and Pains of
Counter-Programming an Election Year.” The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2020, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/discovery-networks-lifestyles-boss-reveals-pros-cons-cable-an-election-year-1274113.
Weprin, Alex. “Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?” The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Nov. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/do-niche-streamers-fit-a-sea-services-1253172?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_2019-11-08%2B07%3A05%3A00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Joe Zukauskas
ReplyDeleteLifestyle and niche cable TV networks are in a tough, but manageable part of their existence. With the SVOD era becoming so overpowering and forcing many smaller TV networks out of business, there are smaller niche groups that have managed to stay afloat. The reason for this is mainly because the niche group may be smaller, but they have a very powerful backing from their viewers/followers. Smaller networks like the WWE, HGTV, and AMC networks have to fight to stay alive and use different methods in order to bring their loyal viewers back to their platforms. The bigger services like Disney+, Apple TV, and Netflix don’t need to do anything crazy to get viewers they just have to put their service out there and viewers will come. For the smaller services they have to get creative on how to draw in viewers. In the article Where Do Niche Streamers Fit In a Sea of Services? By Alex Weprin he says, “To help spur early growth, niche services are using the targeting capabilities of tech giants like Amazon, Roku and Apple to drive new subscriptions (in exchange for a cut of revenue). AMC Networks is among the companies that make their services available through these intermediaries” (Weprin) This shows the different methods that the smaller niche markets are taking to survive in the streaming wars.
The other huge thing that is helping the small niche networks survive is their loyal backers. Although the groups may be smaller, they have such loyal fans that they will do almost anything to get their content. For example, the WWE, they released the WWE network who have a much smaller following with around 1.5 million subscriptions. (Weprin) The WWE is a niche market that will always have a loyal backing and even if their events are no longer televised their viewers and followers are going to need to find their content somewhere else. I think this is enough to help keep the WWE afloat.
HGTV is another smaller niche network that is doing very well with millennials. To me this is not surprising at all. HGTV is the perfect network for what millennials need at this point in their lives, most are getting houses, starting to cook their own meals, or even just now becoming more interested in interior design. In the article Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV the author says, “HGTV marries practical tips and tricks with a bit of intrigue — like any good reality TV does. This means that 20- and 30-somethings find themselves watching episodes on repeat, keeping it on in the background while they cook or get ready for a night out. “The HGTV shows are a mindless escape with manufactured or really silly ‘drama.’ It’s easy to watch them while doing other things, too. Plus, there are so many different episodes on demand, so I can watch them whenever and without commercials. My boyfriend and I have super different tastes in TV shows, but we both agree that we really enjoy HGTV,” said 26-year-old Jocelyn Jezierny, a lawyer based in D.C.” (Hahm). This quote, in my opinion just describes millennials and Gen Z perfectly, most are just looking for a simple show to watch to escape from their chaotic lives for 20-30 minutes without having to be insanely focused on what they’re watching. I personally believe these sort of niche networks will always have a role in the TV world, whether it is small or large is to be determined in the coming years.
Weprin, Alex. “Where Do Niche Streamers Fit in a Sea of Services?” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Nov. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/do-niche-streamers-fit-a-sea-services-1253172?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR's Today in Entertainment_2019-11-08 07:05:00_aweprin&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Hahm, Melody. “Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov. 2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.
Cooper Brown
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though lifestyle and niche shows have become the most popular types of shows recently. This is surprising because we live in an era where streaming and video on demand have really taken over in terms of television and content consumption. Homes have taken steps to move towards these platforms because these streaming services boast an impressive back catalog. However, lifestyle channels such as HGTV and TLC have remained steady. I personally relate to this because my entire family has at least one show on TLC or HGTV that they follow intently. When looking at the popularity of HGTV it shows that the “the most recent Nielsen ratings, HGTV is the fourth-most-watched cable network in the United States, averaging more than 1.6 million viewers overall.” (Barger). I think the reason why HGTV is popular among millenials is that we are starting to enter the process of buying and upgrading homes. HGTV is a way for them to get ideas on how they can make their homes better. It facilitates a lot of creativity as decorating and furnishing a home is very difficult. I would categorize their shows as “easy watching” as they provide good background noise while still being entertaining. A great way to explain it is “20- and 30-somethings find themselves watching episodes on repeat, keeping it on in the background while they cook or get ready for a night out.” (Hahm). I typically have a network that is played constantly in the background and HGTV is typically that one. I feel as though networks such as HGTV and TLC provide a sort of authenticity to their shows that are hard to replicate. Shows about daily struggles such as home improvement and dating are very common problems that almost all of us face in some way or another. I find that TLC has shows that are very current with the times going on. For example, 90 Day Fiance is a show that relates very much to today’s political climate. The reason why I feel as though this show is popular is “despite a political climate that’s hostile to immigration” (Plessis). What I mean by this is that the show has a lot of drama just because of the nature of the show as well as political drama. Politics are a huge topic in the country at the moment and being able to infuse that into their most popular shows is a guarantee for success.
In conclusion, I feel as though niche channels such as HGTV and TLC are so popular in an era dominated by streaming is the familiarity of their content. They talk about topics that are familiar to millenials that make their shows resonate with them on a personal level. Dating life and home improvement are topics that are certainly prevalent in that demographic and being able to have content that shows this type of familiarity while providing insightful ideas will definitely lead to success. They remain a viable option because they broadcast several “easy watching” shows that are very helpful to people in similar situations.
DeleteBarger, Jennifer. “As Seen on TV: Home Makeover Shows Have Totally Upended Homeowners' Expectations.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 10 May 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/as-seen-on-tv-many-homeowners-find-inspiration-in-home-makeover-programs/2018/05/09/38f754e8-4b1c-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html.
Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/-90-day-fianc-is-a-hit-as-national-tv-ratings-are-down.
“Why Millennials Are Obsessed with HGTV.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 13 Nov. 2017, finance.yahoo.com/news/millennials-obsessed-hgtv-205022165.html.