The Popularity of Dating TV Reality Shows in China : On the Perspective of Audience

Abstract: Problem: The dating reality show If You Are the One, won the largest audience rating in China after 2 weeks of its debut.  The sudden popularity led to more and more TV stations rushing to produce dating reality shows, and the majority gets even higher ratings from critics, from media, the Chinese government and common Chinese citizens. Method: Quantitative analysis of a multi-question online survey by logistic regression to determine whether certain variables, identified through academic research, correlate with satisfaction and use by audiences. Result: There are three types of audience. One is eager to get married and aims at finding true love through dating shows or getting some guidance for finding their perfect match. The second is already married and consider their relationship with their spouse to be a major life issue.  They will hope to receive beneficial advice from watching dating shows. The third type simply watches for entertainment, to relax after a day of harsh work and study.  All the audiences watch dating shows, more or less trust on the authenticity of TV and dating shows.