The Bachelorette spoiler: When viewers are collateral damage in a billion dollar media war
The Daily Mail’s spoiler story about the winner of The Bachelorette may seem trivial. But it’s a skirmish in a billion dollar business battleground where viewers end up as collateral damage, argues Mumbrella’s Tim Burrowes.
It’s easy to sneer about fans of a silly reality TV show getting upset about hearing a result before they can watch it.
But the actions of Daily Mail Australia in what looked like a calculated attempt to ruin the outcome of The Bachelorette for viewers, means more than it may seem.
It shows a misjudgement on the part of a young brand in putting what looks like the interests of its owners ahead of the interests of its audience.
I agree Tim. What the Mail did was small minded and cheap
(and hence…consistent with their brand!)
So disappointing and mean. Certainly didn’t win Daily Mail any fans at all. There is the Spoiler Ahead rule and they chose a story over viewers wants. They might as well put up a front page story saying Father Christmas isn’t real, and be done with it. After weeks of awful news of shootings, and toddler found in suitcases and refugees setting themselves on fire, a little ‘reality’ romance is a salve to the psyche. Of course, the Daily Fail couldn’t let us have it though. Just crap for the Ch 10 also who, no doubt, worked their butts off to keep this secret.
The Daily Mail have a reputation for being one of the worst papers in my native England – good to see they’re upholding their ‘high journalistic’ values’ over here too.
I actually get annoyed at my wife when she reads the Daily Mail on line – they purposely do controversial things to drive traffic to their site for their advertisers.
Of course Social Media hate The Daily Mail and complain about it on eg twitter – giving them more exposure and driving more traffic to their advertisers. Which is their motivation. Urgh. Hate them!
if you care that much who she chose, you deserve everything you got.
Daily Mail struggle for decent writers and local content they are looked at as a lifeless joke by my clients so this whole spoiler thing worked for exposure
And it’s ok for Ten to spoil it for Queensland, Adelaide and Perth viewers by announcing the winner before it had finished airing in those markets?
Well said Tim
Good article Tim.
Pssst. Kath, Ten don’t determine the time zones in Australia.
I’m sure 10 will repay the favour with reporting on The Block.
Maybe the Daily Mail’s choice to abandon ‘spoiler alert’ protocol was a strategic move to gain new UA’s.?
Most viewers of the show who wanted to keep the winner a surprise wouldn’t have clicked on the story – which would have been a lot of people by looking at the backlash they have received.
The headline and photos revealed all, so I’m sure plenty of people would have just clicked through to the story anyway.
@Billy C
tit for tack?
Dick move. That’s why I read The Guardian.
I agree with Kath. When the audience dollar is so valuable Its a little hard to understand why Ten revealed the winner in QLD & WA prior to the show airing via Facebook. I totally understand viewers in other states will take to social media immediately but Ten could have held it off until everyone watched.