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The Voice shifts to Seven

Updated: In a shock move, flagship singing show switches to Seven for 2021.

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In a surprise move Seven has secured  The Voice for 2021.

The singing show from ITV Studios Australia will see Sonia Kruger return when it is “reimagined to capture the spirit of the times” in a new tighter format.

CEO and Managing Director James Warburton said: “This is a coup for Seven. Adding The Voice to our 2021 program slate is another brick in the wall of our content-led growth strategy of using proven, power formats. The Voice is a television megabrand that will deliver on our promise of more tentpoles, audience growth and consistency across the year. It is a strong performer in BVOD and will give audiences what they want: the world’s best television.”

Director of Programming, Angus Ross said: “The Voice remains the biggest entertainment show in Australia averaging over 1.5 million viewers each week – delivering on broadcast, demographics and streaming. We jumped at the opportunity to bring this juggernaut into Seven’s 2021 schedule. Our plans to supercharge the format are well underway.”

“We’re accustomed to working with some of the best production studios in the country to deliver refreshed formats that have new life breathed into them,” said Angus Ross. “We’ve done it with Big Brother and Farmer Wants a Wife this year – and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to responsibly reimagine the format for The Voice 2021. We’ll deliver an established franchise ramped up for newer and bigger audiences, in a lean production format that speaks to modern viewers.”

The announcement follows Nine CEO Hugh Marks flagging a steep $40m pricetag for the show last week.

David Mott, CEO and Managing Director of ITV Studios Australia said: “This is truly a significant day. It is the beginning of a new era of The Voice in Australia which is still the biggest entertainment brand globally. Seven did not hesitate in securing the rights when this opportunity came up and we cannot wait to get cracking on the series for 2021… and to welcome Sonia back to the biggest entertainment stage on Australian television.”

Updated: Nine is already taking a chance to rain on Seven’s parade with an unnamed network spokesperson saying. “Unfortunately, due to the age of the show and its declining demographic profile, The Voice had become by far the poorest financial performer on our slate.

“We wish Seven well in their quest to revive yet another Nine show. We are very excited about the schedule we have now set for reinvigorating our slate and we will have  announcements at our Upfronts on September 16.  We remain focussed on our audience and the financial performance of Nine.”

112 Responses

  1. If money is so tight, why do all the networks constantly recycle the same 8 reality shows between each other and pay a fortune in the rights to these back to their international owners.

    One of the reasons why The Block is so much cheaper to produce, is because it’s Australian! No royalties going overseas!

    I’m sure there are some incredible ideas being pitched by people at all levels in the networks that get dismissed. Have some faith in your people and come up with new concepts. Then sell your own franchises to the world.

      1. @JohnW maybe David can ask some of his contacts haha.

        I’m sure they will say that an international format carries less risk, but every franchise is 8-20 years old (except for MAFS) so they only have themselves to blame for not rating the same they did 8-20 years ago.

        They will blame it on Streaming services…but ABC/SBS have not had the same rate of decline as 7/9/10.

    1. Article earlier this week that the Block has similar numbers but makes more far less money then the Voice. Wonder how much the judges pay packet makes in the expensive production costs. The block would pay the unknown contestants a basic wage in comparison

  4. Did I see somewhere Nine quoted $40 million to produce this show?
    And Seven let Mel Doyle go as cost savings?
    They must have won tattslotto last week.

  5. Wow… This leaves at 9 week gap in Nine’s programming slate. Looking forward to seeing something fresh from them. On the other hand, Channel 7 needed more consistent programming. A shame about Darren & Renee not hosting 🙁 2020 has thrown some curveballs!

  6. This is good news! A chance for The Voice to be given a new life. Hopefully they get some fresh faces for the judges with some homegrown talent that we haven’t seen much of on TV before. Missy Higgins?John Farnham? Torye Sivan? David does this mean Sonia is out of the AGT panel now?

  7. I’m surprised too. I don’t mind The Voice, the Blind auditions are good. Not sure how they’ll work the All Stars, if they bring them back Not keen on Sonia as host, I just found her annoying.

  9. Huge surprise. Wasn’t expecting this. Especially when Seven have said publicly they’re cost cutting yet buy a big expensive format. Be interesting to see if Delta and the other coaches come across or will they find new ones. I would personally love The Veronicas to coach but we will see i guess but i do like the current Coaches on the show too. If Sonia is doing this though, please get Gretel back for Big Brother. In terms of scheduling I kind of expect this to replace MKR in the first quarter honestly. Wonder what Seven means by reimagined though. It better not be cheap and shitty because imo The Voice Australia with Nine at least is one of the best produced around the world.

  10. Providing that channel 7 don’t have the same judges as 9 will give this a go next year, not a big fan of the current ones, they always seem to want the limelight for themselves and not the contestants. Go back to basics.

  11. Giggle at that statement from 9 😉 True though, last season wasn’t performing that great in the ratings imo. Quite costly to produce but maybe they’ll save some bucks and get Manu in a spinning chair..

  13. This is so funny. Seven can’t even create a new show??? They always need to steal shows from other networks. The Voice will die just like MKR and House Rules.

    1. I don’t know about that. James Warburton says he will be getting more tentpoles to watch the show so perhaps they will be watching instead of humans.

  14. COVID-19 might restrict international judges coming in so how’s this panel…
    Guy, Delta, Keith Urban (he’s back in the country with not much to do at the moment?) and Ricki Lee (she’s already in the stable for AGT, has been a Voice mentor before and knows how to navigate talent shows).

  15. On a different note, I would have liked The X Factor: Australia to return. While it didn’t have the same post graduate success rate as Australian Idol, it unearthed some big stars and had killer production values. Seven would have been able to buy the format rights at a lesser cost as they have bragging rights for the Got Talent brand.

  16. It’s about time, the format is really getting very tired. Good thing it’s moving to Seven so that I don’t need to watch it. Delta and Guy won’t be in it I reckon as they got tours around the time The Voice will be filming for 2021.
    But one thing is clear, Seven is now officially the home of Nine rejects.
    Maybe Nine should do “you’re face sounds familiar “. I think I read it here somewhere.

  17. Tightened format? This show already has mass exits every night once we’re past the auditions! When will networks learn that for these kinds of shows to really connect, we need more time with the contestants, not less!

      1. True. My mind immediately went to the former because it seems there is a real trend for cutting these shows down. We’ve seen it with The Voice and X Factor in the past. I kind of miss the old Idol days where we lost one person a week. If it’s the latter scenario I’ll be thrilled but shocked.

    2. Hipefully it means less of the backstories during the audition rounds. Padding out those blinds is painful. I watch on BVOD and skip past those.

      Punch through the blinds and battles, then focus on back stories once you get to your core artists – a bit like what Idol used to do.

      1. Surprised to see The Voice go to Seven.

        Agree that there should be less “sob backstories” for every contestant, especially in the auditions. We should only see them once they make the top 12.

  21. What the hell are 9 thinking letting 7 get their grubby little hands on this show? It’s a ratings hit for them. Why on earth would they let it go? They’ve finally been winning the ratings war with 7. They better replace it with something better. Gobsmacking.

    1. What the hell are 9 thinking letting 7 get their grubby little hands on this show? Any excuse to bash Channel 7, right? Well let’s talk facts. Nine have stolen shows and on-air personalities from Seven for many decades, including but not limited to the Warner Bros. Output deal in the mid 1990’s which was Friends and other key titles move. Stole the Australian Open Tennis in 2018, stole Australia’s Got Talent in 2013. These are just a few of many examples. Seven should now go after MAFS and destroy Unoriginal Nine even further.

      1. Facts. Nine cancelled their WB output deal, Seven didn’t want the tennis. Nine didn’t want The Voice (didn’t renew contract). All of these, plus more, were on the open market once Nine failed to renew.

        1. You’ve stated incorrect facts Jason. I’m talking about how Channel Seven had Australian broadcast rights to Friends in 1994. Nine stole it from Seven, which resulted in a two-year court case which resulted in a legal bill of $205M. This battle was well covered by the media at the time.

  22. huge news. Leaves nine with a big hole and who knows who seven will find for coaches. I assume all the incumbents would be signed to network deals with hold out periods.

    1. I imagine the coaches are signed to the production house (ITV) not the network. Also, no artist manager would allow their talent to sign a hold out deal that prevents them from appearing on another network. That’s promotional suicide.

      2. The coaches are signed to the network, not the production house. So the coaches won’t go across. And I’d imagine Seven would want to refresh anyway.

  23. Nine needs to get an Idol version going with Guy & Delta & Darren McMullen as host.

    Sonia looks to be the next over exposed host on Aussie TV.

    I wonder what 9 will show in the Voice spot next year?

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