“Bargain Block” stars Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas are celebrating 10 years in business—months after their series was unceremoniously yanked off the air, a move that saw Bynum lash out at the network for putting his “entire business and life through the ringer.”
HGTV sparked controversy in June when it was revealed that it was canceling several shows: “Bargain Block,” “Married to Real Estate,” “Farmhouse Fixer,” “Izzy Does It,” “Christina on the Coast,” and “The Flipping El Moussas.”
News of that mass axing was first revealed by Bynum, who took to social media to announce that the network had chosen not to renew the Detroit-based “Bargain Block,” which he hosted alongside Thomas.
Bizarrely, he further alleged that the network had initially “greenlit” a fifth season of the show in December but ultimately backtracked on that promise just two months later, claiming that the U-turn had left his business in a state of limbo.
“Our entire business and lives have been put through the ringer at the hands of a giant corporation, yet we persist lol,” he wrote in a June 22 update on Instagram.
“Though you may not be seeing us for much longer on HGTV, we’re excited that we’ve built such an amazing base of followers and we’re very excited about the future.”
However, the duo has since vowed to move forward—a promise that they stuck to this week when they marked a major milestone in their careers: the 10-year anniversary of their business.
Bynum took to Instagram to share the news, penning, “10 years ago this month, Evan and I made our business together official! Our first house in Colorado had us so excited about renovation that we bought another up the mountain.
“After that we knew we were hooked. It’s been a pretty incredible journey so far. Cheers to another ten. I love what we’ve built. @emuralit #smallbusiness #10years.”
The post featured many images of the pair throughout the years.
The duo’s celebration comes months after Bynum teased some new work.
In November, Bynum shed some light on what those plans are, while revealing what he and Thomas have been getting up to since the news of the show’s cancellation.
In a series of photos of the duo smiling and posing with friends, he said, “Been a fun week! 9 states visited, got to see my dad, my sister, my niece, Texas, Vegas, LIZ, and of course Evian,” he wrote. “Excited to show yall some of the projects!”
Fans of the duo flocked to the comments section and praised the home pros, noting that they were very much looking forward to all of the new projects.
“Miss you all. Look forward to seeing your new projects,” wrote one fan, as another chimed in: “I miss you all, can’t wait to see what is next for you.”
A third added: “Miss seeing you guys and your amazing transformations. You and Evan are so talented. Happy to see your smiling faces.”
It’s unclear whether Bynum and Thomas will attempt to take their show to another network—or whether they have plans to air footage themselves on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.
However, the duo had built up a very impressive fan base among HGTV viewers, having debuted their series in 2021, with the network describing them as “scrappy visionaries” who “buy run-down and abandoned properties, and transform them into affordable, stylish starter homes for first-time homebuyers.”
Though the network did not comment on the cancellations, reports at the time suggested that the move came amid a ratings disaster that had seen HGTV losing half of its audience within a matter of years.
Deadline, which spoke to numerous sources who produce for the network, said that HGTV averaged about 1.5 million viewers in 2017, citing Nielsen.
However, since then, the network has struggled to bring in audiences, with its average viewership last year coming in at 773,000.
The U.S. Television Database lists HGTV as the ninth most popular TV channel in the nation, with a total of 658,000 viewers as of early February.
According to Deadline, the company has been struggling to attract viewers aged 18 to 49, losing 26% among that demographic in the last year.
In 2017, viewers aged 18 to 49 averaged 425,000, while 2024 saw only 101,000.
The outlet noted that part of the reason for HGTV’s troubles is the large budget it takes to produce a home renovation show.
The overhaul shows reportedly cost upward of $500,000 per episode.
One source told the outlet, “Home reno shows are expensive because all of the materials are jacked up and on delay, the price of wood and marble and everything else is going up, so these shows don’t make as much sense anymore.”
An unnamed producer said, “Stuff wouldn’t arrive on time; we had wood floors, for instance, that would come in six weeks after we started production, and then we’re also depending on contractors.
“Everyone knows if you’re doing construction on your home, you never come in on budget. So, try to apply that to a show that has really strict budgets. Some of our episodes took 16 weeks to shoot; it’s more labor-intensive than doing a real estate show.”
Real estate shows reportedly cost around $200,000 to $300,00 per episode and take a shorter amount of time to film.
HGTV is also struggling to compete with social media creators who show off their DIY renovations on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.