By India McCarty
With all the cancellations taking place at HGTV lately, could YouTube be the next destination for home renovation content?
“It’s a hot topic — I believe it very well could be,” designer Corey Damen Jenkins told House Beautiful. “That said, there are important distinctions between cable TV and what we are aiming to do. Design enthusiasts are hungry for content that feels fresh, innovative, and honest, and they want it delivered where they’re already spending their time.”
Jenkins has his own YouTube show, DESIGN REIMAGINED, and says the series is “on the cusp of something groundbreaking with YouTube, and I’m thrilled that we are forging a new path on this platform.”
Related: HGTV Stars Dish on Network’s ‘Wild’ and ‘Disheartening’ Cancelations
Designer Amber Guyton echoed his comments, saying, “I think many designers are seeing the networks as less important as they have their own audiences and platforms they can leverage elsewhere. YouTube is the highest monetized of the social media spaces, and what’s seen there will always feel less scripted and cookie-cutter than what is being produced on television.”
“I think the added benefit of owning your content makes it the most attractive,” she added.
It makes sense that many other home renovation and decoration content creators would be considering a platform change. HGTV recently canceled several shows, including BARGAIN BLOCK, FARMHOUSE FIXER and MARRIED TO REAL ESTATE. Many fans have flooded the comments sections of the stars of these shows, telling them to launch a YouTube channel.
“I hope you guys consider moving over to YouTube or another platform once there is no non-compete,” one person wrote on BARGAIN BLOCK’s Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas’ Instagram. “You guys are the only reason we watch that channel.”
There has been no official word on why HGTV has slashed so many shows from the network, but an anonymous source spoke to Deadline about the high costs of these kinds of programs.
“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,” the source said.
They added, “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.”
As more home renovation creators look for different ways to push their content, it looks like YouTube might be the place where fans can find the best home design shows!
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