HGTV Reportedly Lost Nearly Half Its Viewers in the Past 8 Years—Triggering Programming Purge of 7 Shows

A new report has asserted that HGTV’s viewership plummeted by half in the past eight years—and is among the reasons behind the network’s decision to pull the plug on a string of shows.

The future of the home renovation network has been up in the air in recent months after HGTV revealed that it was canceling several series, including “Bargain Block,” “Married to Real Estate,” “Farmhouse Fixer,” “Izzy Does It,” “Christina on the Coast,” and “The Flipping El Moussas.”

Although the network hasn’t revealed the reason for the slew of cancellations, a new report from Deadline says the decreasing number of viewers is partly to blame for the removal of the shows.

The outlet, which spoke to numerous sources that produce for the network, said that HGTV averaged about 1.5 million viewers in 2017, citing Nielsen.

However, since then, the network has struggled to bring in audiences, with its average viewership last year coming in at 773,000.

The U.S. 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 is struggling to attract viewers aged 18 to 49, losing 26% among that demographic in the past year.

In 2017, viewers aged 18 to 49 averaged 425,000, while 2024 saw only 101,000.

The outlet noted that part of the reason for HGTV’s troubles is the large budget it takes to produce and put on a home renovation show.

The overhaul shows reportedly cost upward of $500,000 per episode.

One source told the outlet, “Home reno shows are expensive because all of the materials are jacked up and on delay, the price of wood and marble and everything else is going up, so these shows don’t make as much sense anymore.”

An unnamed producer who makes the network’s renovation shows come to life said, “Stuff wouldn’t arrive on time; we had wood floors, for instance, that would come in six weeks after we started production, and then we’re also depending on contractors.

“Everyone knows if you’re doing construction on your home, you never come in on budget. So, try to apply that to a show that has really strict budgets. Some of our episodes took 16 weeks to shoot; it’s more labor-intensive than doing a real estate show.”

Real estate shows reportedly cost around $200,000 to $300,00 per episode and take a shorter amount of time to film.

HGTV is also struggling to compete with social media creators who show off their DIY renovations on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Realtor.com® has reached out to a representative for HGTV for comment.

Since June 18, the hosts of “Bargain Block,” “Married to Real Estate,” “Farmhouse Fixer,” and “Izzy Does It” have all shared the heartbreaking news about their shows’ cancellations.

The first of the shows to be axed was “Bargain Block,” according to its star Keith Bynum, who announced on his social media account that HGTV had chosen not to renew the popular Detroit-based series for a fifth season.

Bizarrely, he further alleged that the network had initially “greenlit” another round of episodes in December but ultimately backtracked on that promise just two months later.

“Married to Real Estate” husband and wife duo Mike Jackson and Egypt Sherrod announced on June 24 that the series had been abruptly canceled after four seasons.

Sherrod and Jackson, who began showing off their renovation skills on screen in 2022, explained on Instagram that they received the news about the cancellation just moments after arriving in the U.S. following a family vacation.

“Mike and I just landed back in the States after an unforgettable family trip through the Mediterranean, and were met with unexpected news: HGTV has decided not to move forward with ‘Married to Real Estate,'” the couple, who wed in 2010 and share three children, revealed.

They conceded that the situation was hurtful but were quick to express their gratitude for the team that worked so hard on their four-season series.

The following week, sources said that “Christina on the Coast” and “The Flipping El Moussas” had been given the ax by the network.

According to Us Weekly, insiders said Haack’s series, which ran for five seasons, the last of which concluded in March of this year, had “not been renewed,” while the El Moussas’ show was also “not coming back” to HGTV, having lasted just two seasons.

Although HGTV has yet to comment on the terminations, Haack previously showed off her playful personality while speaking out about the cancellation of her show.

She addressed the news in a carefree Instagram post that saw her lounging around with her kids, friends, and boyfriend Christopher Larocca.

“Summer so far. Basically just eating and laughing. Canceled looks good on me….” she said in the caption.

Haack teased, “Only kidding only kidding” with a red heart and a silly face emoji.

However, while Haack appeared upbeat even in the face of the disheartening news, fans were quick to flock to the comments section to voice their sadness at the show being canceled.

“I sooo loved ‘Christina on the Coast’!!! HGTV made a very bad decision!!” one person said.

Another social media user wrote, “I am so highly upset at this network. They canceled all my favorite shows!!! I really hope I see all you guys very soon!!!”

Fans should have at least one other opportunity to watch Haack on HGTV screens in the second season of “The Flip Off,” a renovation battle series in which she stars alongside the El Moussas.