Instagram Killed the HGTV Star, But the Hustle Might Be Even Tougher for Influencers 

Reality television fans who used to tune in to see Ty Pennington scream, “Move that bus!” before revealing a dramatic home makeover no longer have to wait a week for new material. Thanks to content creators with a home design niche, there’s a new flip to be found around every corner of the Internet.Of course, home renovation shows are still alive and well, but viewer behavior has shifted, and the definition of “watching television” has stretched to include all kinds of viewing.According to an October 2025 Deloitte study, 41% of surveyed users across age groups consider the act of watching social media videos and streaming services to be “watching TV.” What’s more, 44% of millennial respondents and 58% of Gen z respondents admit to spending more time consuming social media content than cable and streaming.While the lift has gotten lighter on the consumer side of the equation—fresh entertainment is just a swipe away any time of day—influencers say the creation of content is much more strenuous than expected.Viewers may assume that because the content is comparatively lo-fi to the highly-produced series on HGTV, the work is simple, too. But transforming a home while living in it—and c...