Home Town Takeover is filming in Canada and the hosting rule behind the change surprised viewers

Viewers who have followed Home Town Takeover from rural Alabama to small town Colorado are now watching the franchise cross a border, with production shifting to Canada and a new set of faces stepping in front of the camera. You are not just seeing a change of scenery, you are watching a legal and cultural pivot that explains why Erin and Ben Napier are suddenly on the sidelines of a show they helped define. The hosting rule behind that move has become one of the most surprising twists in HGTV’s small town revival saga.

How a small-town renovation show became a franchise

To understand why the latest season feels so different, you first need to remember how big Home Town Takeover has become inside the HGTV universe. The original Home Town, built around renovations of historical homes in Laurel, Mississippi, turned Erin and Ben Napier into network mainstays, and the Takeover spinoff scaled that concept up to entire communities, promising a concentrated burst of design, construction, and storytelling in one chosen place. As the format expanded, the show evolved from a simple renovation series into a kind of civic makeover, with each season framed as a once in a generation opportunity for the winning town.

That growth is visible in the way the franchise now sits alongside other marquee HGTV titles when you search for Home Town Takeover and see it treated as a distinct brand rather than a one off experiment. Earlier seasons took you to places like Fort Morg in Colorado, where Ben and Erin Napier posed in front of finished murals that symbolized the show’s promise of visible transformation for residents who had written in for help. By the time HGTV confirmed a third season, the Takeover label carried enough weight that simply attaching it to a town’s name became a marketing tool for tourism boards and local chambers of commerce.

From Sebring to the border: the road to a Canadian season

The path to filming in Canada actually runs through central Florida, where Sebring was selected for a previous round of renovations. When HGTV announced that Sebring had been chosen, local leaders emphasized how the exposure could reshape perceptions of a community better known for its raceway than its downtown storefronts. Residents were told that With the winner of the HGTV Takeover contest finally named, they could expect an “awesome experience” as crews arrived, businesses were refreshed, and the town’s story was packaged for a national audience.

That Sebring season, detailed in coverage of how Florida landed the show, reinforced the idea that Home Town Takeover could drop into any American town and apply the same formula. You saw the Napiers and their team juggle multiple projects at once, from facelifts for mom and pop shops to public art that doubled as Instagram backdrops. That success made the next step feel almost inevitable: if the format could travel from Laurel to Fort Morg to Sebring, why not cross into a neighboring country that shares a deep appetite for home renovation television?

Why Canada became the next frontier

When HGTV decided to take the franchise north, it was not just chasing new scenery, it was responding to a regulatory environment that has been reshaped by Ottawa. In April, 2023, Canada passed the Online Streaming Act, a law designed to give Canadians more opportunities to see themselves and their communities reflected on screen. The legislation effectively nudged global platforms and foreign owned channels to invest more in Canadian stories, Canadian talent, and Canadian production crews, creating both obligations and incentives for shows that want to film there.

For a series built around small town identity, that policy shift made Canada an attractive next step, but it also came with strings attached. Coverage of the law explains that the Online Streaming Act is part of a broader push to ensure that Canadians are not just watching imported content but are also featured in it, from on camera hosts to behind the scenes staff. When you look up Canada and its cultural policies, you see a long history of rules that favor domestic creators, and the new streaming framework extends that logic into the era of global platforms. Home Town Takeover’s move into this environment was always going to be shaped by those expectations.

The legal twist that sidelined Erin and Ben Napier

The surprise for viewers came when Erin and Ben Napier revealed that they would not be allowed to host the new Canadian season, even though they remain the faces of the broader Home Town brand. You might have expected scheduling conflicts or creative fatigue to be the reason, but the couple instead pointed to legal restrictions tied to the way the spinoff is structured north of the border. They explained that the Canadian version is treated as a separate production, with rules that limit how foreign talent can front a show that is meant to qualify as domestic content under national guidelines.

Reports on the decision describe how a Canadian spinoff of HGTV’s Home Town franchise triggered specific requirements that effectively blocked the longtime hosts from taking their usual roles. One account notes that the beloved HGTV couple, who have anchored the franchise since 2016, were told they could not host the new series due to legal restraints that prioritize Canadian on air personalities. In that coverage, Ben said that the network was looking for people “like them,” a nod to the fact that the format would stay familiar even as the faces changed, a detail highlighted in a piece on legal restrictions around the spinoff.

How Canada’s Online Streaming Act reshaped the hosting rule

To understand why those legal restraints exist, you have to go back to the Online Streaming Act and the way it redefines what counts as Canadian programming. The law pushes streamers and broadcasters to meet quotas for Canadian content, and that calculation is not just about where a show is filmed, it is also about who appears on screen and who controls the production. When Erin and Ben Napier looked into the details, they found that having American hosts front a Canadian spinoff could complicate the show’s status under those rules, especially if the goal was to maximize credit for Canadian creative leadership.

Coverage of the Napiers’ exit from the new season spells this out by linking their absence directly to the Online Streaming Act and its emphasis on giving Canadians more opportunities to see themselves in leading roles. One report notes that In April, 2023, Canada passed the Online Streaming Act with that explicit goal, and that the ripple effects are now being felt by foreign franchises that want to film there. The same analysis explains that the couple’s inability to host is not a personal slight but a structural outcome of a policy that favors Canadian hosts, a point underscored when In April is used as a marker for when the law took effect and began reshaping production decisions.

What Erin and Ben Napier are saying about the change

From your perspective as a fan, the most reassuring part of this story may be how Erin and Ben Napier have framed the transition. Rather than treating the Canadian season as a loss, they have described it as a chance for new hosts to step up while they focus on other projects within the Home Town universe. In interviews, Erin has emphasized that they are not walking away from the franchise, they are simply respecting the legal framework that applies in another country and trusting HGTV to find the right people to carry the torch.

One detailed breakdown of the situation, presented under a What To Know style explainer, quotes Erin and Ben Napier as they outline why they cannot host the upcoming season of Home Town Takeover and how they are channeling their energy into their latest show, Home Town: Inn This Together. Erin told the outlet she is “excited to go to Canada,” even if that visit will not involve her usual role on camera, a nuance captured in coverage of why Erin and Ben Napier cannot host the new season. That mix of disappointment and optimism has helped set the tone for how many viewers are processing the change.

HGTV’s strategy: keeping the brand while changing the faces

For HGTV, the challenge is to preserve the emotional core of Home Town Takeover while complying with Canadian rules that favor domestic hosts. The network has made it clear that the show’s DNA, from its focus on small businesses to its emphasis on community pride, will remain intact even as the on air team shifts. Executives have framed the Canadian season as an opportunity to introduce new personalities who can resonate with local viewers while still appealing to the broader audience that has followed the Napiers for years.

Reporting on the decision notes that longtime HGTV hosts will not front the new season of the popular show, and that the Home Town spinoff will head to Canada for the next chapter of its story. The same coverage reminds you that the original Home Town is still anchored in Laurel, Mississippi, where Erin and Ben continue to renovate historical homes and maintain their connection to the town that launched their careers. By sending the spinoff to Canada for the new season, HGTV is effectively running a two track strategy, keeping the core series stable while letting the Takeover format adapt to local conditions.

Inside the production shift and what it means for viewers

Behind the scenes, the move to Canada has required more than just swapping hosts, it has meant rethinking how the production is staffed and structured. To qualify as Canadian content, the show needs a significant portion of its creative and technical team to be based in the country, which affects everything from who directs episodes to which contractors are hired for on camera renovations. For you, that may translate into subtle differences in design choices, building codes, and even the kinds of small businesses that get featured, reflecting regional tastes and regulations.

Industry coverage of the transition highlights how HGTV has navigated similar shifts before, including when it brought in additional talent to support Ben and Erin Napier during the intensive Fort Morg season of Home Town Takeover. One report on their evolving role includes a portrait of the couple in front of a finished mural in Fort Morg and notes that the network is comfortable building ensembles around them or, when necessary, moving forward without them. In discussing why Erin and Ben Napier will not be hosting the new Canadian season, the same piece quotes network voices who describe the upcoming location as “magical in the summer” and urge fans to “Stay tuned,” language that appears in coverage of Home Town Takeover and its next chapter.

What the hosting rule reveals about TV’s global future

If you zoom out from this one show, the hosting rule that surprised Home Town fans is a preview of how global television will work in the streaming era. As more countries adopt policies similar to Canada’s Online Streaming Act, international franchises will have to decide whether to localize their casts, adjust their formats, or skip certain markets altogether. For viewers, that means you are likely to see more region specific versions of familiar brands, each shaped by a mix of creative ambition and regulatory necessity.

The Napiers’ experience illustrates how even beloved personalities can run into hard limits when policy and production collide. One account of the situation describes how HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier revealed they are effectively banned from hosting the Home Town spin off for “legal reasons,” a phrase that captures both the specificity of Canadian rules and the broader trend toward tighter control over who gets to front nationally branded shows. That same report notes that HGTV’s Ben and Erin have built their careers on Home Town, yet they now have to watch a version of their own format unfold from the sidelines, a dynamic explored in coverage of how HGTV handled the legal constraints.

How you can follow both the Canadian season and the Napiers’ next moves

For you as a viewer, the practical takeaway is that Home Town Takeover is splitting into parallel storylines. On one track, you will be able to watch the Canadian season with its new hosts, new town, and a production model tailored to local rules. On the other, you can keep up with Erin and Ben Napier as they continue to renovate homes in Laurel, Mississippi, and expand their portfolio with projects like Home Town: Inn This Together, which lets them stay firmly in front of the camera without running afoul of foreign regulations.

Coverage of the couple’s schedule notes that, despite having to take a step back from Home Town Takeover, Erin remains enthusiastic about visiting Canada and supporting the franchise from a distance. At the same time, HGTV is using its main channel and streaming platforms, including its 4, 8/7c programming blocks, to promote both the new season and the Napiers’ other shows. One detailed explainer on why Erin cannot host the Canadian edition points readers to the Canadian government’s website for more on the legal framework and then circles back to how HGTV is positioning its lineup, a strategy outlined in a piece on HGTV and the future of the Takeover brand.

Supporting sources: Untitled, Untitled, Popular HGTV stars not allowed to host spinoff of their show …, Why Erin & Ben Napier Can’t Host New Season of ‘Home Town …, Longtime HGTV hosts won’t host new season of popular show, Why Erin & Ben Napier Won’t Be Hosting ‘Home Town Takeover’, Why Erin & Ben Napier Won’t Be Hosting ‘Home Town Takeover’, Home Town Takeover selects Sebring, Florida, for season 3 …, Why Erin and Ben Napier won’t host the next ‘Home Town …, Why Erin & Ben Napier Can’t Host New Season of ‘Home …, HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier reveal they’re banned from ….

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*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.