HLN has rebranded itself as the cable news channel for the social media generation. The shows have gotten rebranded, emphasize hashtags, and new programming has launched. The new show, The Daily Share, makes up almost all of HLN’s daytime programming.
HLN has also unveiled new, taped HLN Original Series. HLN’s sister network, CNN, also has been using a strategy of taped programming to attract new viewers.
However, CNN’s strategy has largely been successful. HLN’s has not.
HLN has launched five Original Series. There has been Jack Vale: Offline, Growing America, The Social Life, Beautylicious: Offline, and Keywords.
Jack Vale: Offline and Beautylicious: Offline both follow Internet stars when they are not shooting their respective YouTube series.
Growing America had 24,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo and 107,000 viewers in total viewership for its debut.
For its debut, Jack Vale:Offline had 62,000 in the demo and 114,000 in total viewership.
The Social Life, a travel show hosted by HLN anchor Ali Nejad, had 56,000 in the demo and 177,000 viewers for its first episode.
The ratings then went down even more for the next Original Series’s debut. Beautylicious: Offline had 36,000 in the demo and 114,000 in total viewers. The show has been removed from the schedule.
Then most recent Original Series debut was a mixed bag. Keyword, hosted by Summer Sanders, debuted to 38,000 viewers in the demo and 81,000 in the total. This is the second-lowest for the demo and the lowest for total viewers. However, the demo rating is up from the debut of Beautylicious: Offline. However, it is worth noting that Keywords had long been advertised while Beautylicious: Offline was announced the day before it’s debut.
TKNN reached out to a HLN spokesperson regarding the Original Seroes and whether there would be any change in strategy. We have not heard back, but will update if we do.