‘Rock the Block’ Contestants Make History

Heavy/HGTV/Getty Ty Pennington, host of "Rock the Block"

The fourth season of HGTV‘s hit show “Rock the Block” kicked off just one week ago, but it’s already one for the record books. The network just announced that the first episode of season 4, which debuted on March 6, 2023, was the most-watched season premiere in “Rock the Block” history.

The six-week competition pits four pairs of HGTV personalities against each other as they’re challenged each week to design a specific area of their identical, brand-new homes with a total budget of $250,000. The fourth season was filmed in four 5,000-square-foot houses that are situated on a cul de sac in the small town of Berthoud, Colorado.

In addition to host Ty Pennington, the competing duos drawing such a huge audience are:

• Married couple Bryan and Sarah Baeumler of “Renovation Island”
• Luxury design experts Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle from “Luxe for Less”
• Renovation expert Jonathan Knight and high-end interior designer Kristina Crestin from “Farmhouse Fixer”
• House-flipping expert Page Turner with contractor Mitch Glew from “Fix My Flip.”

Over 5.7 Million People Watched ‘Rock the Block’ Premiere

HGTV“Rock the Block” Season 4 cast (L to R): Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin, Page Turner and Mitch Glew, host Ty Pennington, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, and Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle

In 2022, “Rock the Block” was HGTV’s most-watched series of the year. But if early numbers are any indication, this season could blow season 3 out of the water.

The season 4 premiere among HGTV’s key demographic — women ages 25 to 54 — broke prior viewing records by reaching more than 5.7 million viewers, the network said in a press release, and also “reflected an increase of 89 percent over the prior six weeks in the demo.” That made the premiere the most-watched entertainment cable program among that demographic.

But men were watching, too; HGTV said the P25-54 measurement — women and men ages 25 to 54 — increased by 75 percent over the prior six weeks.

HGTV’s new Head of Content Loren Ruch, who took over after network president Jane Latman was laid off in December 2022, said in a statement, “‘Rock the Block’ continues to be a strong Monday night ratings driver for HGTV year after year,” calling it an “edge-of-your-seat competition among some of our top stars.”

Page Turner Says It’s ‘Surreal’ to See Their Designs Come to Life on TV

The six contestants, host Pennington and other HGTV stars who serve as weekly judges have been actively sharing behind-the-scenes footage and insights on social media since before the premiere, with many of them sharing how intense the six-week project was and also ribbing each other about their designs. All of that buzz has likely helped to generate interest and build viewership.

After hosting her own premiere watch party, Turner posted a photo of her gathering on Instagram and shared memories of her time filming the series, on which she said the cast became like family.

She wrote, “We put so much time, physical, mental and emotional energy for six arduous weeks into reimagining & designing such beautiful spaces working with blinders on, that to SEE it all come to life is quite surreal!”

Pennington, who’s been hosting home improvement competitions like ABC’s “Extreme Makeover”  and TLC’s “Trading Spaces” for over two decades, told PopCulture that he’s seen countless designs created under pressure, but this season’s results blew him away.

He said, “I think if you’re a design enthusiast, you’re definitely going to want to use the pause, rewind, slow it down, and just really check out the detail because every surface is really stunning.”

Ratings are not yet available for the second episode of the series, which aired on March 13. “Rock the Block” airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern time and is also available to stream via Discovery+.