Married at First Sight fans have been wondering for years if there is a financial incentive for taking the time to film a Lifetime season. Recently, the Kinetic Content CEO dished on whether or not cast members are cashing checks. So, what did they have to say?
Married At First Sight: Marrying A Stranger Has Proven To Be Popular
Even though Married at First Sight fans largely agree that the show has gone down the tubes over the last few seasons, the premise of marrying a stranger at the altar without seeing them beforehand has been drawing in viewers since the show first premiered.
A decade and 17 seasons later, Married at First Sight is still a popular show among viewers. In addition, with popular streaming services picking up seasons of the show, these platforms are exposing new audiences to older seasons, viewers who may not have been aware that a show like this existed.
MAFS: Participants Risk A Lot To Find Love
Married at First Sight cast members often risk more than just their hearts when they agree to film for Lifetime. Often, they have to take time off from work to film the show. In addition, there’s also the loss of privacy, as they open themselves up to public scrutiny.
In some cases, this can be a good thing, as many cast members have been able to use their Married at First Sight exposure to grow their social followings, get content views, and more. Still, many Married at First Sight fans are curious if a network check comes with agreeing to film the show.
Married At First Sight: Do Cast Members Get A Check For Filming?
Recently, Kinetic Content CEO Chris Coelen dished on whether or not participants receive a network check for agreeing to be in front of the camera. According to the CEO, Married at First Sight cast members are paid “almost nothing” for their participation.
He didn’t go into detail about what that exact number is. However, Coelen did say that removing the financial incentive is also an attempt to reduce the number of people trying to get on the show for the wrong reasons, like to make a quick buck. The actual amount cast members are given is likely a small number to cover some time missed at work, or perhaps some minor expenses that come up while filming.
Overall, the Kinetic Content boss makes it clear that if you’re looking for a fat paycheck, applying to be in a new season of Married at First Sight isn’t the way to go.
Still, the network exposure, good and bad, can garner someone lots of social media followers, which they can then turn into cash, albeit indirectly through things like brand partnerships, or even Cameo shout-outs.
So, going through the process might be worthwhile for some. As the best-case scenario, participants could very well end up with both a new spouse and a much larger social following than they had before, even without a fat network check.
