It’s given Seven’s MKR the fright of its ratings life, so it’s hardly a surprise that Nine has announced its controversial dating show Married At First Sight will return for a fifth season in 2018.
Nine took a huge gamble putting Married At First Sight up against Seven’s ratings killer MKR for the first ratings period of 2017, even managing to topple Pete and Manu on one occasion and again last night.
On Friday, Nine’s CEO Hugh Marks told B&T: “From our perspective, Seven’s ratings performance and their decrease in MKR with Married At First Sight up against it was already predetermined.”
All the reports are that Married At First Sight – that’s been averaging 1.472 million viewers an episode – has been pinching MKR’s female audience.
On the announcement of the fifth series, Nine’s head of content, production and Development, Adrian Swift, said: “We are so proud of Married at First Sight and its performance. It is a terrific show that is emotionally charged, full of love, and provides couples with a real shot at finding love. It’s no wonder everyone is talking about it. We can’t wait to see what the next series will bring.”
Again, the fifth series of Married At First Sight will be produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Nine. The company’s CEO Mark Fennessy said:“We are thrilled to be recommissioned for another season of Australia’s most controversial and groundbreaking series. Season four has proven to be a ratings hit for Nine and we’re looking forward to taking it further in season five on this much talked about show.”
