Image: Taskmaster (AU), Network 10
Despite the challenges of entering a competitive market like the U.S., where audiences are accustomed to local content, Australian TV shows have been relatively successful. Beyond the well-known success of the hit children's show “Bluey,” the most popular Australian show globally, the rising popularity of reality shows from Australia is also surprising and may indicate some untapped opportunities for streaming platforms to license content.
Among English-speaking countries, Australia is the third-largest exporter of TV shows to the U.S. in terms of demand, behind the United Kingdom and Canada, and ranks seventh overall. However, when it comes to reality TV, Australia is the second most popular country of origin, trailing only the United Kingdom as of the third quarter of 2024. Reality shows from Australia had a higher demand share than any other major country in the U.S. market, with 28.3% of the total demand for Australian shows coming from this genre. For U.S. reality shows, this share is 19.2%, and for British titles, 12.6%.
The appeal of British reality shows is well-known, as many globally popular reality franchises originated from the country, such as “MasterChef,” “Taskmaster,” “Love Island,” and “LEGO Masters.” Some Australian versions of these franchises have managed to ride that wave and even surpass the popularity of the original shows. This is the case for “MasterChef Australia,” one of the most in-demand cooking shows in the U.S., and “LEGO Masters Australia,” both of which have higher demand than the originals.
Other Australian reality shows with outstanding demand in the U.S. include “Taskmaster (AU),” which is the second most in-demand iteration of the franchise in the U.S., behind the original British show and ahead of the American version that ended in 2018. Additionally, the survival competitions “Australian Survivor” and “Alone Australia” are the most popular international versions of these shows in the U.S. market.
This trend presents a significant opportunity for streaming platforms to engage with reality TV audiences. Of the Australian titles mentioned above, only “Alone Australia” and “Love Island Australia” are currently available on streaming platforms in the U.S. These shows, with their high number of seasons and episodes, are excellent tools for subscriber retention.
