It isn't all that surprising, but this infographic titled 'Popstar vs. Producer' exposes the nitty gritty of the disparity in income among participants of reality-singing shows. American Idol, Canadian Idol, The X Factor and The Voice are the four examples listed. The infographic points out that each of these shows pay its contestants ridiculously little compared to its producers.
One shocking fact stated is that Simon Cowell's single year salary is more than eight of the top contestants' album sales combined. Because past contest winners often start as low budget, they struggle to stay relevant in the industry. The infographic makes a good point that in a day and age where everything is a business, it pays a lot more to work on running the content rather than being the content.
Revealing Reality TV Infographics
This Infographic Reveals the Disparity in Reality-Singing Shows
Trend Themes
1. Reality TV Income Disparity - A trend of revealing the large income gap between reality TV show contestants and producers creates potential for disruptive new talent management models to emerge.
2. Low-budget Music Struggle - The trend of past reality TV singing contest winners struggling to stay relevant in the music industry suggests an opportunity for innovative platforms or programs to help launch and sustain their careers.
3. Content Vs. Creator Pay - A trend of highlighting the income disparity between content producers and creators creates potential for disruptive innovation in business models, revenue sharing, and compensation structures.
Industry Implications
1. Television Production - The television production industry may look to disrupt traditional talent compensation models when creating their shows to better compensate contestants.
2. Singing Competitions - The singing competition industry may seek to innovate their revenue sharing to better financially support past winners and up-and-coming talent.
3. Music Industry - The music industry could benefit from innovative platforms or programs aimed at launching the careers of past reality TV singing contest winners and other low-budget talent.