50 Fun Facts About HGTV
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Take the 50-question quizWhat does the initialism HGTV stand for?
During development it was called the Home, Lawn, and Garden Channel before the name was shortened.
Which company owns HGTV today?
Discovery took control in 2018 when it absorbed Scripps Networks Interactive, along with Food Network and Travel Channel.
In which Tennessee city was the production company that became HGTV's base located?
Scripps executive Kenneth Lowe bought the small video firm CineTel to serve as the hub.
On what date did HGTV launch?
It relied on Scripps-owned cable franchises and must-carry rules to get onto systems.
Who co-founded HGTV with Kenneth Lowe?
Former CBS executive Ed Spray set up the system of using independent production houses.
Roughly how many US households could receive HGTV at its 2011 peak?
By November 2023 the figure had fallen to about 72 million.
What was the spin-off company that held the cable channels from 2008 to 2018 called?
The newspapers and broadcast stations stayed with the original company.
What is the name of HGTV's annual sweepstakes that gives away a custom-built house?
It has run since 1997 and the 2012 edition drew over 81 million entries.
Why have most winners of the annual house sweepstakes sold their prize?
As of 2006 only two winners had actually lived in their houses.
Where was the very first giveaway house built, in 1997?
Public tours began with the 2004 house in St. Marys, Georgia.
What did HGTV admit in 2012 about House Hunters?
In many cases the purchase was already made before filming, and some homes were not even on the market.
How many properties do buyers choose between in each episode of House Hunters?
Buyers are typically paid about $500 to film around 50 hours of footage.
In which year did House Hunters debut?
It has since produced more than 2,400 episodes, with spin-offs including International and Renovation.
Which production company makes House Hunters?
The same company produces Christina on the Coast.
In which Texas city is Fixer Upper set?
The show boosted local tourism so much that the nearby Dr Pepper Museum saw attendance rise 60%.
Which interior design trend is Fixer Upper largely credited with popularising?
Zillow found homes with shiplap, barn doors and clawfoot tubs sold about 30% above expected value in 2018.
Which HGTV sister channel was rebranded under the Gaineses' Magnolia brand in 2022?
Fixer Upper: Welcome Home launched the new network on Discovery+ in January 2021.
What marks the Gaineses' Magnolia Market shopping complex in downtown Waco?
The silos were built in 1950 for the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Company.
Which 2025 Fixer Upper spin-off was the first set outside Texas?
The Castle aired in 2022, The Hotel in 2023 and The Lakehouse in 2024, all in Texas.
In Property Brothers, which twin is the real estate agent?
Jonathan is the licensed contractor who handles the renovations.
In which country did Property Brothers originate?
It first aired on the W Network before HGTV picked it up; it now airs in over 150 countries.
What did the Scott twins submit as their sizzle reel to land Property Brothers?
Cineflix had originally wanted Drew with a female co-host for a show called My Dream Home.
What unusual childhood training did the Scott twins have?
They charged up to $100 an hour for parties before Jonathan turned to magic and Drew to basketball.
In which Canadian city were Drew and Jonathan Scott born?
Drew arrived four minutes after Jonathan, and their parents had been expecting a single baby.
Which home furnishings brand did the Property Brothers launch?
Spin-offs of the show include Buying and Selling, Brother vs. Brother and Forever Homes.
Who were the original designer and realtor duo on Love It or List It?
Page Turner replaced Farr when the 20th season began in April 2025.
In which cult film did Love It or List It's Hilary Farr appear in a minor role?
She trained at the Royal Ballet School until age 11 before turning to design and acting.
Why did David Visentin get his real estate licence instead of going to theatre school?
He began working at the family firm, Country Living Realty, in Barrie, Ontario in 1987.
Which formerly married couple hosted Flip or Flop?
They divorced but kept working together until the show ended after ten seasons in 2022.
In which California county did the Flip or Flop hosts flip houses?
The 2008 crash pushed them from a $6,000-a-month house to a $700-a-month apartment and into flipping.
How did Tarek El Moussa get HGTV's attention in 2011?
The network signed the couple in 2012 and Flip or Flop debuted in 2013.
What was Bristol Marunde, co-host of Flip or Flop Vegas, before television?
He and wife Aubrey mirrored Tarek and Christina's roles for three seasons from 2017.
In which Mississippi town do Ben and Erin Napier restore homes on Home Town?
HGTV found the couple after they were featured in Southern Weddings magazine.
In which city is the Good Bones mother-daughter duo based?
They started flipping houses in the Fountain Square neighbourhood and named their firm Two Chicks and a Hammer.
What was Karen E. Laine's profession before Good Bones?
Her daughter Mina was a part-time waitress when they began flipping houses in 2007.
Which city is the setting for Windy City Rehab, starring Alison Victoria?
Many of the properties are over 100 years old and some are landmarked, complicating the work.
In which city do Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas renovate houses on Bargain Block?
They often live in the houses as they work on them, alongside realtor Shea Hicks-Whitfield.
Who hosts the show that helps lottery winners buy luxury properties?
He helps lottery winners and sudden heirs find luxury properties; the show premiered in 2015.
How did the former Disney illustrator who hosts Color Splash first get on HGTV in 2006?
A former Disney illustrator, he beat nine rivals to win a car and his own show, Color Splash.
Which sitcom's famous exterior house did HGTV buy for $3.5m and renovate in 2019?
The Studio City home was used for exterior shots; the surviving cast joined the Property Brothers and others for the work.
Roughly how many viewers watched A Very Brady Renovation over its four-week run?
The house later went up for sale at $5.5 million after $1.9 million of renovations.
Who hosted the 2020 HGTV season of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?
Ty Pennington had hosted the original ABC run and won two Emmys for it.
Which Canadian contractor built a show around fixing other people's botched renovations?
The show was once the highest-rated on Canada's HGTV, airing upwards of 20 times a week.
Who hosts Income Property, helping owners build rental suites to offset their mortgages?
He went on to host Scott's Vacation House Rules, about cottage-country rentals.
Which 30 Rock actor hosts Zillow Gone Wild, based on the viral social media account?
He tours non-traditional homes with distinctive decor and imaginative architecture.
Which Atlanta-based Trading Spaces designer became a judge on HGTV's Design Star?
He was known for filling rooms with silk, candles and flowers, and also hosted Deserving Design.
Which New York cable provider lost HGTV and its food channel for three weeks in 2010?
Scripps pulled the channels on December 31, 2009, and a deal restored them on January 21.
Why did HGTV shelve the Benham Brothers' series Flip It Forward in 2014?
The series had been created for the channel but never premiered.
What is Hogar de HGTV?
It launched on June 30, 2020 with dubbed programming and some original Spanish-language shows.
What did a 2021 New Yorker feature call HGTV's programming?
A 2023 study suggested the critical "before" sequences push viewers toward neutral, standardised design choices.