Why Discovery Channel’s ‘Eaten Alive’ failed to consume its audience
Many saw the show’s marketing as an underhanded way of gaining viewers, especially after Paul Rosolie’s promise to be eaten by an anaconda fell through.
Despite vocal protects, many more braced themselves—and their DVRs—to watch what they were made to believe would be one of the most startling visuals they had ever seen.
When the show itself aired, viewers spent nearly the entire show watching Rosolie try to find the large reptile, only to fail to be eaten when the snake started to wrap itself around him and safety became a concern.
Why they thought a suit that looked like a motorcyclist’s could protect a man from a 200-foot anaconda chokehold is beyond many, but audiences were still disappointed by the show’s failure to deliver the content that was promised.
There’s a fine line between building up suspense and interest with sensational teasers, and what you actually deliver.
Did Discovery Channel’s marketing spike viewership? Absolutely. But did they lose trust with their audience because they didn’t deliver on their promise? You bet they did.
Brand managers are going to have to work twice as hard the next time they promote a show to prove viewers are going to get what they are promised.
Despite what happened, Discovery Channel succeeded in creating discourse and its brand name has been elevated in the process. Here are some of the snarkiest tweets about the show:
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