Why Married At First Sight 2020 is a huge hit with over 55s

It was supposed to be a show for the Instagram generation, but this year some of the biggest followers of Married At First Sight are actually older Australians, writes Cameron Adams.

There was a time older viewers would have been furiously dialling Channel 9’s switchboard to vent about how disgusting it is that Married At First Sight is on TV, let alone airing at the wholesome hour of 7.30pm.

Now, that older demographic are voluntarily watching a show where people with pillow lips and potty mouths have their toothbrushes dunked in the dunny as payback.

MAFS started as a racy program deliberately designed to woo the Instagram generation, the same audience the contestants would target once they’d left the show in their blatant quest to become ‘influencers’ rather than get real jobs. And just a few years in, it is the biggest reality show in the country due to the fact it appeals to so many viewers across age groups – including the over 60s.

Since 2017 they’ve introduced couples in their late 40s and 50s – it’s not just Jaggad-clad trout pouters and fake-tanned gym rats looking for love.

On talkback radio the other week, an older lady was discussing the recent MAFS pant-dropping and bedhopping drama of the night before. No tut-tutting or hate-watching, just genuine enjoyment.

Friends have reported their 60-something mothers who began watching the program to be able to join in the conversation with their own offspring, the ones who infected them with the MAFS virus, then getting hooked themselves.

MAFS has found an unexpected audience in the over 50s. Picture: Channel 9

It’s like the modern, soft-porn version of a steamy Barbara Cartland or Jackie Collins novel.

Look at Woman’s Day and New Idea. The main people who still think they have to actually buy a magazine to get photos and gossip are generally the older demographic. And those magazines are filled with MAFS content because actual celebrities don’t behave like randy bogans, giving them endless weekly content.

Cracking the magic million mark most nights, MAFS is regularly the most watched show in the 16-39 ratings demographic breakdown (that’s the one advertisers froth over), as well as the 25-54 bracket and the GSWC market – that’s Grocery Shopper With Child.

Last week in the over 55 demographic, MAFS was the most-watched non-news program, with 366,000 city viewers, beating Home And Away, Dancing With the Stars, and Australian Survivor by a long shot.

Drill deeper and 33-per-cent of MAFS’ audience this year are over 55, and 17 per-cent are over 65.

When looking at 2019’s most viewed programs for the over 55s, Married At First Sight was number 25 on the list after being beaten by, well, a whole lot of ABC programs in the Top 20 – Vera, Death in Paradise, Anh’s Brush With Fame, Back Roads, Harrow, Shetland, Midsomer Murders, Australian Story, Agatha Christie, Father Brown and Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds in the Top 30. Only five of the Top 30 were not ABC shows.

Come 2020 end-of-year lists, though, it’s likely MAFS will fare a lot better with the over 55s.

The introduction of older couples has helped expand the show’s popularity. Picture: Channel 9

Maybe the older generation are sick of being fed the same repeats on the commercial network’s digital arms?

And once ignored by advertisers, the over 55s have become a viable market – they buy more than funeral plans and incontinence underwear.

Perhaps it’s also the lack of anything else to watch at 7.30pm. Where MKR was once a genuine alternative, this year it’s losing viewers quicker than you can say ‘anti-vaxxer’.

Australian Survivor is quality reality TV, and it’s definitely got a loyal following but its figures are very low in the over 55 demographics – even though they’ve cast actual boomer heroes like Shane Gould.

There could be one major issue with MAFS being watched by pensioners – the cool factor.

Another morally-fluid dating show, Love Island, was a word of mouth hit last year when it aired on Channel 9’s digital station.

When they moved it to Channel 9 proper this year Love Island suddenly lost whatever ‘edge’ it had and withered.

Could the Andre Rieu crowd hanging on every last antic of the MAFS couples be what tips it over the edge? Or maybe bonding over as-seen-on-TV bonking with your nan is peak 2020?

@cameron_adams