Last month, Variety reported that Bobby Flay was leaving Food Network after 27 years because of contract issues. At the time, he and the network couldn’t reach a financial agreement for the contract renewal. However, it appears Flay secured his bag after all and won’t be leaving Food Network anytime soon.
Deadline reports Flay reached a three-year deal with the channel, confirmed by Food Network president Courtney White:
We are thrilled to continue Bobby Flay’s long standing relationship with Food Network. He captivates our audience with his incredible culinary skill, fierce competitive spirit and his trademark ability to share a deep passion for food. Bobby generously invites viewers into his culinary world, sharing his #WeCook philosophy and inspiring everyone in the kitchen. Continuing this creative relationship with such an extraordinary talent is the perfect way to usher in the holidays.
Flay also gave a statement saying the negotiations “took a little longer than expected” but he’s “thrilled” to still stay at the network that turned him into one of the world’s most renowned chefs. He said, “The important thing is that both sides are happy that we can now build on an already rock solid foundation.”
According to Deadline, the new agreement goes beyond his TV shows. It “includes development of new content for Food Network as well as for elsewhere within the Discovery portfolio. Like its media peers, Discovery is pushing into streaming, with food programming aimed at niche service Food Network Kitchen as well as the broad-audience Discovery+.”
He already has some new stuff for Food Network on the horizon. New episodes of Beat Bobby Flay are underway, and he’s debuting a new show—the working title of the upcoming series is Bobby And Sophie On The Coast. As the title suggests, Flay will be teaming up with his daughter, Sophie, who starred with him in another one of his Food Network shows, The Flay List.