Reality Shows Are Moving Overseas, but Networks and Streamers Want to Bring Them Back to the U.S. – Insights from the Reality TV Summit
Unscripted Shows Shift Production Abroad as Costs Rise in the U.S.
Rob Lowe, host of Fox’s game show The Floor, generated significant attention last year when he revealed that it was less expensive to transport 100 Americans to Ireland than to film on the Fox lot in Los Angeles.
Filmed near Dublin, The Floor exemplifies a growing trend of unscripted shows being produced outside the United States. While network executives aim to increase domestic production, economic and logistical factors often drive them to opt for international locations.
Industry leaders pointed to the success of various series, including Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen, alongside the Whitney Cummings-hosted dating show Marriage Market and The Masked Singer, which recently filmed on the Fox lot.
“It really depends on what the show is and what it needs,” one executive stated. "For studio-based shows, we’ve had a lot of success in Ireland because we found a great producing partner there in Bigger Stage. With the tax credit there and budgets tightening, it makes sense to shoot many of the studio-based shows abroad. We are absolutely leaning into filming here, if we can.”
Jay Pharoah, host of Fox’s The Quiz with Balls, noted a shift in production locations, mentioning that the show’s first season was filmed in Australia, while the last two seasons took place in Belgium. “Trump got into office and there were a lot of shifts with shooting. My understanding is that it’s easier and cheaper to shoot out of America now, which is ridiculous, but that’s how it is,” he explained. Pharoah humorously critiqued Belgian cuisine, calling the food “trash” and stating, “I’m not even going to sugarcoat it.”
Many shows are filmed internationally for creative reasons. For example, Peacock’s Love Island USA and the show Beast Games are shot in both the U.S. and the Middle East. “It also adds to the production value, right? You have beautiful beaches and roaring hills, and you know, it’s part of the creative,” remarked Jenn Levy, Amazon’s Head of Nonfiction Series.
Netflix’s VP of Unscripted Programming, Jeff Gaspin, shared that the streaming service filmed The Golden Ticket in Australia because the production company is based there. Netflix is also shooting a new Monopoly series in the UK for similar logistical reasons. “It’s certainly a lot easier for us to produce in the States than have to travel all over the world. We just shot Star Search here. We’re trying, but we tend to go where the production company is,” Gaspin added.
As the landscape of television production evolves, the implications of these decisions raise questions about the future of domestic filmmaking and the creative choices that shape popular programming.
