What is Dr Phil’s Net Worth? Talk show host’s fortune explored as his Cable network files for bankruptcy

Dr Phil McGraw, known widely for his long-running daytime talk show, has an estimated net worth of $460 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Each year, McGraw reportedly earned between $60 million and $90 million through various ventures. Uniquely, Dr Phil retained full ownership of his show’s content and paid CBS to distribute it, an arrangement that granted him a sizable portion of the advertising and product placement revenue.

Earlier this week, People reported that Dr Phil McGraw's cable network, Merit Street Media, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of Texas. The filing stemmed from an unresolved disagreement with the Trinity Broadcasting Network, a major Christian media company.

Despite the legal filing, a source close to the matter told People that the move seemed intended to protect the brand’s long-term value rather than signal its demise.

“Dr. Phil is deeply committed to the future of the brand and his employees, despite the situation, he remains focused, energized and — true to form — as supportive and engaged with his team as ever,” the source said.

They went on to describe McGraw, who gained national attention in the 1990s through frequent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as “one of the kindest, most dedicated people.”

“This is someone who clearly cares and always leads with integrity.” the insider added.

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Dr Phil returned to television with his own network in 2023:

In 2023, Dr Phil McGraw announced his return to television but this time, on his own terms. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the talk show host revealed he was launching his own cable network, Merit Street Media.

“I’m coming back in primetime on a whole new network that’s called Merit Street Media, It’s my new network, but I’ve got some news that I want to share with you about that. This is actually not my network, this is our network,” he said in the video post.

Dr Phil emphasized that the network would focus on content that resonated with everyday viewers.

“This is something that’s going to be focused entirely on what’s important to you, what you want to talk about, what you want to do and ‘Dr. Phil’ is going to be on in primetime.”

According to a press release at the time, Merit Street Media was introduced as “a new cable TV network dedicated to bringing viewers essential news and entertainment.”

In a follow-up statement, Dr Phil said,

“As always, the audience will dictate our content because they are our content, and I want my viewers' help in building Merit Street. I continue my pledge to help individuals, couples, and families have the tough conversations, face the hard realities, and get real answers for the most positive and effective outcome.”

Dr Phil also shared why this mission felt personal.

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives, it all begins and ends with real people dealing with these issues for real, using common sense, fact-based information, and action plans to create results,” he shared.

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Dr Phil’s Merit Street Media accuses TBN of causing $100M debt in bankruptcy filing:

Merit Street Media filed a complaint against the Trinity Broadcasting Network, they claimed that TBN’s alleged mismanagement directly led to the network’s collapse. The complaint, which was obtained by People, accused TBN of leveraging its controlling interest to impose massive financial obligations on the company.

The complaint stated that TBN "abused its position as the controlling shareholder of Merit Street to improperly and unilaterally burden Merit Street with unsustainable debt," pushing the network to "pay or incur obligations to third parties in excess of $100 million."

Perhaps most critically, the complaint pointed to TBN’s refusal to pay for distribution, a responsibility TBN allegedly acknowledged as theirs.

“The most egregious impact is TBN’s conscious and knowing choice to cause Merit Street to lose its national distribution by withholding distribution payments despite repeatedly acknowledging those distribution payments were 100% TBN’s sole responsibility,” the complain alleged.

Without a distribution path, the complaint noted, Merit Street’s programming had no platform.

“Simply put, as a result of TBN’s conduct, Merit Street has nowhere to send its broadcast signal and nowhere to air its programming no matter how great it may be.”

The filing further argued that TBN’s conduct amounted to

“A conscious, intentional pattern of choices made with full awareness that the consequences of which was to sabotage and seal the fate of a new but already nationally acclaimed network.”