Seven.One Studios International has extended its partnership with 9Network Australia, the home of hit ratings phenomenon Married at First Sight Australia. 9Network has acquired every season of every English-language version of Married at First Sight – including productions from the US, UK, New Zealand and South Africa. The broadcaster has also committed to acquiring all further English-speaking seasons produced.
Following the acquisition, a Married at First Sight FAST channel has launched on 9Now.
The deal follows Married at First Sight Australia’s continued domination of Australian primetime ratings: season 11, which aired earlier this year, drew a huge average audience of over 2 million Total TV viewers. The entire series reached 14.2 million people across total TV – representing a 4% year-on-year increase on total TV, a 1.5% year-on-year increase on broadcast TV, and a 9.6% year-on-year increase on BVOD compared with season 10. In the crucial demographic of 25-54, the series recorded a Total TV National Average Audience of 1.003 million viewers per episode, representing year-on-year growth of 4.3%. On BVOD, the 25-54 audience was up 11% year-on-year.
Seven.One Studios International is continuing to expand the global footprint of Married at First Sight. Tape sales of local versions top 130 countries, with current commissions of the dating phenomenon numbering over 30 – across five continents.
Rose Hughes, VP Sales at Seven.One Studios International, said: “The 9Network has been a fantastic home for Married at First Sight for over a decade. We are thrilled they’re expanding the brand further through this landmark deal. This partnership underscores an unwavering commitment to the world’s leading relationship show and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we bring even more iterations of this global phenomenon to Australian viewers.”
Created and produced by Snowman Productions – a Seven.One Studios company – for Denmark’s DR, Married at First Sight has become the world’s most watched relationship show and one of the most talked-about and highest-rating formats of the decade.
Married at First Sight follows singles who have failed to find love as they put their hearts in the hands of a team of experts, who select their perfect partner. The couples then meet for the first time at the altar. After the wedding and honeymoon, the married couples move in together and start their new lives. From the first kiss to the first tears, cameras document their every moment as experts analyze the relationships. Six weeks of marriage later, the couples must make a decision: stay together or file for divorce.