Does The End Of ‘Fixer Upper’ Spell Doom For HGTV?
HGTV lost their biggest cash cow after Chip and Joanna Gaines decided Season 5 would be the last for Fixer Upper. The announcement shocked Chip and Joanna’s loyal fan base, and although the couple will still be flipping houses, their involvement with the network is unclear.
According to Page Six, Chip and Joanna’s departure from the show is a huge loss for HGTV. Not only was Fixer Upper the network’s highest-rated show, but it also helped drive fans to other content and merchandizing. HGTV still has shows like Property Brothers, which are in a similar vein, but none of them quite matched the Fixer Upper’s level of popularity.
Fixer Upper peaked at over three million viewers last season, making it the number one show on HGTV followed by Flip or Flop. After Season 5 is over, the network will have a major gap to fill if it wants to keep the majority of those viewers. Although Chip and Joanna’s exit will hurt HGTV, some experts believe it was a good move to go out on top.
As far as the Gaines’s are concerned, it is possible that they’ll migrate to a bigger network. They might even try to reach a broader audience and start their own talk show. As popular as the couple has become, they definitely have a lot of options at their disposal.
According to People, Chip and Joanna confirmed their exit this week in a special statement. Chip confessed that it was a bittersweet departure but believes they made the right decision. The pair explained how they wanted to focus on their family and other businesses and felt like going out on top was the right thing to do. The two own and operate numerous businesses associated with their Magnolia brand, including a market, a real estate company, and a line of products.
The Fixer Upper stars are also getting ready to launch a restaurant in Waco and Chip is preparing for the release of his upcoming book, Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff. The fifth and final season of Fixer Upper premieres in November.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXUPSfkEH_8
[Featured Image by HGTV]
