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Chip and Joanna Gaines are embarking on one of their biggest challenges yet — launching Magnolia Network. Over the years, HGTV viewers watched the couple renovate homes on Fixer Upper and made all the challenging projects look easy. Now Chip and Joanna are completely revamping the DIY Network under their brand. The channel was originally set to launch in late 2020 but was pushed back to January 2022 due to the pandemic. Chip and Joanna are now revealing they are grateful the change happened.

Chip Gaines smiles and waives sitting next to Joanna Gaines smiling
Chip and Joanna Gaines | Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Why are Chip and Joanna fine with Magnolia Network being pushed back?

Joanna and Chip are superstars in the lifestyle market and have created a brand that has been highly successful. Off of their hit HGTV series, the couple has made partnerships with large corporations to make home goods accessible to consumers across the United States. Their latest venture is curating a whole television network with their sensibilities to capture what audiences want to watch.

Magnolia Network was originally slated to premiere in 2020 but due to the pandemic and production being halted on all TV shows, it was decided to push back the premiere. Instead, some of the programmings was made available through the discovery+ streaming service for an added fee. Their linear debut didn’t occur until this past Jan. 5 as they took over the DIY Network. Chip and Joanna are now saying they are grateful for having been allotted more time with the delay.

“I think, looking back, we couldn’t have planned it any better,” Joanna said during an interview with Good Morning America. “It’s January, it’s a new year. Just the message of hope and inspiration from these storytellers and the stories that they’re telling… The world is ready for that kind of beauty to be seen.”

Chip then added, “We need this content at such a time as this. I think people are feeling optimistic about this new year. I really feel hopeful and optimistic, and I think this message is going to fuel those thoughts.”

Why have Magnolia Network on cable when they are already streaming?

The television landscape is changing and consumer habits have changed dramatically since the streaming wars began. Magnolia Network’s content has already been available through the discovery+ streaming platform as well as the Magnolia app. In a recent interview, Joanna explained why it was important to still have a presence on traditional cable as well.

“There’s still tens of millions of people still on the linear side. And we think a lot of our viewers are still there. So we want to meet them there,” Joanna told Variety. “We also just believe in the power of getting around the television as a family watching the same show together. I think right now a lot of people are on their own devices watching their own shows.”

Joanna and Chip Gaines smile as they are being interviewed
Joanna and Chip Gaines | Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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Joanna has famously said she doesn’t own a television set in her home and makes it a thing to not show TV’s when renovating clients’ homes. Furthermore, the interior designer does find a nostalgic factor about watching TV with the family.

“It’s weird to think of it as nostalgic, but being around the television set feels like back to the basics all over again,” she added. “So for us, we feel fortunate to be able to have it on the streaming side, but also the linear side so that we can have as many people that want to watch it be able to watch it.”

Magnolia Network is not available on cable having taken over the DIY Network.

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