Mike Rowe suing for at least $2M in alleged unpaid…
“Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe claims Discovery cheated him out of thousands and thousands by launching “Deadliest Catch” spinoffs without utilizing him as the narrator, according to a new lawsuit.
Rowe, who began to narrate “Deadliest Catch” episodes back in 2005, filed a lawsuit against Discovery Talent Services (DTS) Tuesday claiming the community failed to pay him according to a deal they allegedly hammered out in 2020 stating Rowe would rake in $40,000 an episode.
Rowe claims he was not paid as his settlement with the show acknowledged. Discovery
Rowe has labored on “Deadliest Catch” since 2005. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Rowe and his manufacturing company Lab Rat had been to be paid on a “pay-or-play” foundation, according to the lawsuit, that means DTS was to either use Rowe’s voice in episodes (play) or to pay him his hourly charge for any new episode they did have him narrate or used another narrator (pay).
While an unique settlement had Rowe locked into the pay-or-play foundation for a particular period of time, an settlement in 2020 allegedly said Rowe was to be “locked in for life” to the deal, according to the lawsuit.
Download The California Post App, comply with us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTookay, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTookay, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up right here!
California Post App: Download right here!
Home supply: Sign up right here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up right here!
The settlement allegedly included all initially produced episodes of “Deadliest Catch” and “Bering Sea Gold.” The deal also “applies with equal force to spinoffs of the original “Deadliest Catch” collection.
Rowe claims he’s owed more than $2,000,000 for his work. Bloomberg via Getty Images
The settlement was carried out without issue during spinoffs including “Deadliest Catch: The Bait” and “Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove.”
However, according to the lawsuit, Rowe was not solid as the narrator and was not paid for spinoffs “Deadliest Catch: visible injuryline (33 episodes),” “Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns (10 episodes)” and Deadliest Catch: Northern Edge (8 episodes)” — a violation of the “pay” half of the alleged settlement.
Rowe also hosted the show “Dirty Jobs” on Discovery. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
“Lab Rat and Rowe have also learned that the episodes of the original “Deadliest Catch” collection that are aired internationally are materially different than the episodes aired in the United States. To the extent any of these worldwide episodes are decided to be “originally produced episodes,” the pay-or-play settlement would apply to those as effectively,” according to the lawsuit.
Rowe and his legal staff allegedly had discussions prior to submitting the lawsuit where Discovery “stated that its understanding of the pay-or-play provision in the Deal Memo is that the provision only applies when DTS chooses to have a Narrator in the episode,” according to his attorneys.
“Because DTS exercised its choice not to use Rowe as a Narrator in at least 51 episodes of “Deadliest Catch” spinoffs, Lab Rat is entitled to a cost of at least $2.04 million,” the lawsuit said.
Discovery had no remark on the lawsuit.
We present you with the trending topics. Get the best latest Entertainment news and content on our web site daily.
