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Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to No Longer be Broadcast on Network TV

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The angels are flying away.

Les Wexner, CEO of L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, released a statement last week in which he said that he is taking this year’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show in a new direction.

“Fashion is a business of change. We must evolve and change to grow. With that in mind, we have decided to re-think the traditional Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” the statement read. “Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit.”

He continued, “In 2019 and beyond, we’re focusing on developing exciting and dynamic content and a new kind of event – delivered to our customers on platforms that she’s glued to … and in ways that will push the boundaries of fashion in the global digital age.”

The move is not a surprising one, given the fact that last year’s show drew its lowest rating ever for the annual event. Controversy in some quarters was also stirred when a top executive suggested that the show should not include transgender models.

The lingerie company is also said to be shuttering another 53 disappointing retail locations this year.

Predictably, Wexner’s statement has sparked much discussion about the company’s overall direction. As Forbes speculated, “The 81-year-old billionaire, who founded what is now called L Brands in 1963, doesn’t have many good options for the fashion show, which last year generated the lowest TV ratings in its history. Perhaps the decision about the fashion show was made for L Brands, and the company is trying to spin the news in a positive direction. ABC, which broadcast the latest edition of the show, declined to comment. CBS couldn’t immediately be reached.”

Referring to the fashion show’s sagging ratings and overall brand, the magazine’s Jonathan Berr noted that he doesn’t “think any of the major cable channels would be interested in the broadcast, either. Wexner could stream the event or show it on a pay-per-view basis. Unfortunately, there is a ton of content on the internet that’s far raunchier than any “secret” Victoria may still be keeping. Victoria’s Secret would also likely reach a much smaller audience online than it would have on network television.”

The decision about the show, Reuters reported, “follows growing criticism of the television broadcast–which features models such as Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Alessandra Ambrosio and Lily Aldridge walking the runway in skimpy underwear–as sexist and out of touch. Victoria’s Secret, once the go-to retailer for all things lingerie, has been losing customers as more women shift to cheaper bralettes and sports bras from companies such as American Eagle Outfitter’s (AEO.N) Aerie. Pop singer Rihanna’s lingerie line, Savage X Fenty, has also taken market share away from the struggling retailer.”

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