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Posted by Mary Luz Mejia Dec 18, 2007 |
I saw this one coming. I always wondered about how the Food Network USA "looked the other way" when some of their big names made tons of money based on their own lines of goods- and if this bothered the network or made them monetarily covetous. I once read that Mario Batali made about $150K /year from the Food Net, and millions more in his many side interests, including food stuffs, appearances and accessories.
A recent NY Times article has recently demystified this. The Food Network will now be crafting different contracts in which they become a bigger player in any endorsement deal their on-air talent is offered.
The article states, "About a year ago, the Food Network began aggressively trying to change that with new deals that were 'way more onerous' from the stars’ point of view, said a person who has been affected by the changing strategy, by insisting on a stake in book deals and licensing ventures, and control over outside activities."
According to the piece, the first of much merchandising revenue will start with Bobby Flay's line (it will be Food Net endorsed) and sold across the US at Kohl's. It's an interesting time for the network because many of their stars are branching out and leaving. Anthony Bourdain has a show on the Travel Channel, and soon, Mario Batali will have a show with Mark Bittman on PBS. The article posits that "they're being hit by all sides" and that the most successful show in recent ratings has in fact been a BRAVO Production- Top Chef. It will be interesting to see which way the network goes (Batali says they're already catering to what he refers to "The Wal-Mart Crowd") and if their Canadian counterpart follows suit in any way.