Manifest canceled at NBC after three seasons; why did it happen?
There’s some truly devastating news out there for longtime fans of Manifest — there may be no real resolution to the mystery.
Today, NBC officially canceled the high-concept drama after three seasons, which continues what has been a rather-crummy run of the network ending great shows as of late. First, the news came out that Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was going away; now, we’re also losing Manifest. Despite having a loyal audience of Manifesters and standing out amidst a field of similar shows, the network and studio Warner Bros. TV were not able to find a way to bring the show back.
So why did this happen? There are two simple reasons we can consider at this very moment.
Ratings – The numbers for season 3 were far from spectacular. Manifest averaged just a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic, down 30% from the live ratings in the same demo for season 2. The show was also down more than 20% in total viewers. While networks expect declines with some of their shows, more than likely they were hoping for a drop in the 10-15% range. That’s a little more manageable long-term. It’s true that some viewers can be recouped in DVR viewings and streams, but traditionally these are not as profitable in terms of ad revenue.
Ownership – Since Manifest comes from WBTV, NBC doesn’t make as much money off of the show that they do from one produced in-house. With lower ratings, ownership becomes infinitely more important. This is one of the reasons why Zoey’s Playlist was also canceled, given that it came courtesy of an outside studio in Lionsgate.
We’ll talk soon about the chances of another network/streaming service picking Manifest up, as we don’t think that all hope is completely lost. However, it does feel like we’re fully in the unknown with this show’s future now, much like we are with its central mystery.
Related – Check out more news on the end of Manifest season 3
What do you think about Manifest being canceled at NBC after three seasons?
Be sure to share right now in the comments! After you do that, stick around to secure some other news on this show and so many others. (Photo: NBC.)
This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.