“Breakfast Television” host Dina Pugliese and “Property Brothers” duo Drew and Jonathan Scott are among the stars headlining new HGTV and Food Network Canada shows under the Rogers umbrella.
Rogers’ head of original programming Kale Stockwell says the company’s inaugural slate for its newly acquired specialty channels — previously held by Corus — includes 11 original series that promise to be “bigger and more impactful” than what came before.
An HGTV Canada show with the working title “Property Brothers: Commitment Issues” will see the Scott brothers help people overcome indecision in home buying and lead them through renovations. The show is currently in production and set to premiere in 2026.
Scott Brothers Entertainment is also behind “The Emily Michelle Project,” focused on budget-friendly makeovers led by designer Emily Michelle, and “Top of the Block,” a competition series where homeowners compete for the title of best house on the street.
Pugliese heads to Food Network Canada for “Bake Master Battle,” where three teams of bakers showcase confectionary skills through festive challenges.
Meanwhile, “MasterChef Canada” finalist Andy Hay brings “Andy’s East Coast Kitchen Crawl” to Food Network Canada, as he visits kitchens across Atlantic Canada before creating inspired dishes in his Halifax home.
Last June, Rogers announced it had scored “milestone” multi-year deals with Warner Bros. Discovery in which it nabbed the Canadian rights to several lifestyle brands from Corus Entertainment and Bell Media, including HGTV, Food Network and Discovery.
Stockwell says Rogers wants to “keep the spirits” of their newly added brands alive while elevating the content to stand out in the crowded media landscape.
“HGTV and Food are incredibly strong brands that have resonated with Canadians for over 20 years and still are hugely impactful. So we wanted to make sure we were true to the brands first and foremost,” he says.
“But I think if there's one thing we endeavoured to do when we took this on is just to try and make programming that was a little bigger and more impactful. (Shows that) broke through some of the noise in the market.”
Stockwell says an example is “Home Town Takeover Canada,” an HGTV Canada adaptation of the U.S. series focused on small-town revitalizations of homes, business and public spaces. Details on locations and hosts for the series will be announced at a later date.
He says the show “really will change the future of a hometown in Canada.”
In December, Corus launched Flavour Network and Home Network to replace the channel positions for Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada and air original shows meant for those networks.
Corus co-CEO Troy Reeb told The Canadian Press last year that the broadcaster is confident its two new lifestyle brands can “compete and win” against Food Network and HGTV after losing both networks’ Canadian rights to Rogers.
“To be honest, I'm not really focused on what they're doing,” Stockwell says about the competitor, which was also set to announce its programming lineup on Monday.
“We're trying to put together the best possible slate of original programs that we can. And we think that when it is released and audiences have the opportunity to consume it, it will speak for itself.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
