HGTV crisis amid revolt against disgusting new 'sex' show: Network insiders turn on talent and name 's***est' programs
When HGTV this month debuted its newest real estate series, Tropic Like It's Hot, viewers were aghast.
For the program seemed more akin to a dating reality show than the family-friendly renovation hits - such as Fixer Upper and the Property Brothers - that made the network so beloved by fans.
But amid sweeping cancellations and cost-cutting across the network, it seems HGTV - owned by Warner Bros Discovery - has shifted its content away from PG programming to bolder, sexier shows that appeal to a younger audience.
And Tropic Like It's Hot, which premiered on April 6, is the result of that effort. The new 16-episode reality series follows buyers and couples on the hunt for their dream home in some of the world's most stunning destinations, including Costa Rica and Tulum.
But between bizarre sexual innuendos and close-up shots of bikini-clad women and shirtless men on the beach, Tropic Like It's Hot has faced swift backlash from loyal HGTV viewers who feel 'grossed' out by the network's new 'cringe' and 'tacky' show.
But fans shouldn't expect HGTV to change course anytime soon. According to an inside source who spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail, executives at HGTV believe that shows like Tropic Like It's Hot are the future of the struggling network.
'The whole Chip and Joanna [Gaines] days are gone,' the source said. 'You're never going to see that again.'
HGTV's new reality TV series, Tropic Like It's Hot, has received backlash from viewers, calling the real estate show 'cringe' and too 'sexual'
'The whole Chip and Joanna [Gaines] days are gone,' the source said, referring to the former co-stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper (pictured)
Instead, the source continued, the network is focused on new programming that is 'extremely cheap to produce,' even if that means neglecting the fans that have kept it afloat all these years.
'Around February 2025, an HGTV executive announced that they were trying to go in a whole new direction and they wanted to reinvent [the network],' the HGTV insider told the Daily Mail.
'They kept pushing for "fresh new ideas" and producers would pitch them, but they said it was "not fresh enough."'
Soon after, HGTV began filming for Tropic Like It's Hot, which the network felt was completely 'outside the box' compared to its typical shows, the insider said.
The move comes as the network appears to struggle to retain viewers.
In the last eight years, HGTV has seen its total audience almost halved. According to Nielsen data, the network averaged around 1.5 million viewers in 2017, compared to 773,000 in 2024.
The network is also significantly losing its young viewers, as its 18 to 49 demographic was down by 26 percent in 2024. HGTV averaged only 101,000 viewers in this age bracket that year, down from an average of 425,000 in 2017.
The Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott have been mainstays on the design network for over a decade
From left, Christina Hall, Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa are the stars of HGTV's The Flip Off
In July 2025, it was revealed that HGTV had canceled a string of home renovation shows, including Christina on the Coast, starring Christina Hall and The Flipping El Moussas, starring Hall's ex-husband, Tarek El Moussa, and his new wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, from Netflix's Selling Sunset. Battle on the Beach, Farmhouse Fixer, Married To Real Estate, Bargain Block and Izzy Does It were also shelved.
Though fans threatened to boycott the network for scrapping their favorite shows at the time, it was reported that that the decision to axe the programs was due to exorbitant production costs.
According to Deadline, HGTV's home renovation shows can cost up to $500,000 per episode compared to real estate shows, which cost an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 and are filmed in a much shorter time span.
Our source confirmed as much when they suggested that HGTV will likely lose 'a bunch of money' due to its declining viewership.
'HGTV has lost half of its viewership year on year. They're not going to be able to sell the same advertising prices as they were before, so they're going to be losing a bunch of money,' the source said.
'All the home rental shows are very expensive to pull off. I mean, they're owned by Warner Bros Discovery, which is in how much debt? I can't imagine how you can lose half of your viewers and keep up the same advertising rates.'
It certainly does not help that HGTV's parent company, Warner Bros Discovery, has been undergoing major changes amid its acquisition by Paramount Skydance, worth a whopping $110 billion.
From left, Evan Thomas, Keith Bynum and Shea Hicks-Whitfield on Bargain Block, which was among the string of shows canceled by the network last year
Christina Hall's spin-off show, Christina on the Coast, was also canceled in 2025, after five seasons
Married to Real Estate co-stars Egypt Sherrod (left) and Mike Jackson revealed the show was canceled by HGTV after four seasons
The decision to sell Warner Bros Discovery was largely to offset the company's reported $35 billion in debt.
On Thursday, its shareholders voted to approve the merger, which will see Paramount Skydance take ownership over cable TV networks like TNT, CNN and Discovery Channel, as well as its streaming service HBO Max and film studio.
Earlier this year, HGTV revealed a new slate of shows premiering in 2026 - though it seemed that a common thread existed among some of the titles.
Cheap A$$ Beach Houses, which premiered in December, follows bargain buyers hoping to buy a coastal home on a realistic budget. World's Bargain Dream Homes, which debuted in April, follows buyers seeking a home with a budget of $150,000 or less.
Meanwhile, HGTV's new Neighborhood Watch series simply compiled footage from home security cameras and smart doorbells.
'HGTV went from home renovation, how-tos and interior design to now just s*** that happens in your home. They've got a whole show about Ring doorbell camera footage. What does that even have to do with HGTV?' the insider said.
'There's no way they're not thinking about the cost. If you read between the lines, all of those shows are extremely cheap to produce.'
When Tropic Like It's Hot debuted on HGTV earlier this month, it did not take long for viewers to share their unfiltered thoughts about the network's apparent shift in content.
Warner Bros. Discovery has undergone massive changes since the company's acquisition by Paramount Skydance for $110 billion
On the HGTV Reddit forum, one disappointed fan described the new show as 'insulting,' 'ridiculous' and 'embarrassing,' while another criticized the couples as 'shallow and vapid.'
A third user expressed their discomfort at the 'sexual innuendos' that were made by the cast within the first few episodes, writing: 'The couples were exhausting and trying too hard.
'All of the sexual innuendos were really odd and it was cringey how often the first couple mentioned needing their privacy for all the sex they were going to have around the house.
'I wanted to see unique homes in other countries, not wannabe influencers who only care about their looks and matcha. Even the intro shots of cheeky bikinis and women on the beach were so odd.'
Another wrote: 'These new shows are just House Hunters with raunchy moments.'
Some older viewers also criticized HGTV's efforts to appeal to a younger audience, saying they felt neglected by a network that had catered to their interests for the past 20 years.
'I'm 66, out of shape, and average looking. Thank you, HGTV, for making me feel inferior, uninteresting, and not worth your time and attention,' one Reddit post read.
'I should be your target audience, older and retired, but I don't matter to you. I'm not young and sexy, which would appear to be the audience that you're trying to attract, and screw the audience that has been your bread and butter for years. You suck.'
Indeed, the insider maintained that HGTV's new offerings are an attempt to capture a younger generation.
HGTV's Ugliest House In America is hosted by comedian and actress Retta (right)
HGTV's Property Brothers, featuring twins Drew and Jonathan, has run for 14 seasons
For one, raunchy dating-style reality TV shows such as Peacock's Love Island USA, as well as Netflix's Love Is Blind and Too Hot To Handle, have proven successful, drawing millions of viewers each season.
'Love Island USA was one of the highest-rated shows on television, and it was a streaming show,' the HGTV insider said.
'They see where the market is at and they want to chase that market as opposed to embracing their boomer market, which they really had down. They wanted to reinvent themselves to go younger and to go more drama-ridden. They're more concerned about drama than they are about the actual focus of what HGTV stands for.'
Not only are younger audiences tuning in to watch original streaming content in droves, but they are also the same demographic who largely cannot afford a home to begin with.
'Here's the issue: you're getting Boomers who are aging out of this a bit. There's plenty of them that still have basic cable to keep HGTV afloat, but streaming services are doubling year after year.
'They're trying to capture that market that's growing, and how do you do that when 30-year-olds can't afford a home? The younger generation is not going to watch something having to do with home renovation.'
The Daily Mail has contacted HGTV's representatives for comment.
