Behind Dr. Phil’s Media Flameout

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Phil McGraw’s media company, Merit Street Media, is currently in bankruptcy court and has filed a lawsuit against its distribution partner, Trinity Broadcasting, alleging a breach of contract that the company claims was a key factor leading to their chapter 11 filing. However, indications that the network was facing financial difficulties were evident long before Merit Street initiated bankruptcy proceedings on July 2.

In their legal action, Merit Street asserts that Trinity Broadcasting, famous for its Christian programming and reaching approximately 65 million American households, compelled Merit TV into costly third-party distribution agreements instead of utilizing Trinity’s local stations network. Moreover, they claim Trinity delivered subpar production services for Merit TV’s shows, along with other problems. McGraw’s Peteski Productions offered a bridge loan to Merit Street to cover operational expenses, but due to Merit Street’s financial instability, it was difficult to secure additional capital injections, ultimately leading to the bankruptcy filing.

Several attempts to reach Trinity Broadcasting for comment were unsuccessful.

Before Merit TV filed for bankruptcy, there were several warning signs that suggested its inception was fraught with difficulties. These issues were compounded by the fact that traditional linear TV is facing a significant shift towards streaming platforms, which are now preferred by the majority of viewers. Even the linear TV segment of Merit Street’s offering, which comprises a FAST channel and mobile app, wasn’t fully secured. The channel can be received over-the-air in most major markets, though it often appears on digital subchannels. However, its availability is limited on cable and satellite providers, with Comcast’s Xfinity service, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV being among those that do not carry it.

As a gamer, I’ve been keeping an eye on the developments at Merit TV. McGraw’s Dr. Phil Primetime is their star attraction, but they also air morning and evening news broadcasts and original shows like those hosted by Nancy Grace and the former host of The Bachelor, Chris Harrison. In July 2024, Merit TV secured a deal to carry Professional Bull Riders (PBR) events. However, by October, PBR had withdrawn their programming from our network, claiming we hadn’t paid the rights fees yet. We’re currently in arbitration over this disagreement. Sadly, it looks like PBR has moved on and signed a deal with Fox Nation, the streaming platform of Fox News.

Lately, the evening news broadcast was replaced by a morning program and regular live updates throughout the day. After filing for bankruptcy, all shows, including Dr. Phil Primetime, ceased production, making Merit TV appear like a channel operating in limbo. Currently, reruns of McGraw’s different programs and some infomercials occupy the schedule. The most recent morning news broadcast available on the Merit TV app is from July 1st.

In terms of digital presence, Merit TV’s YouTube channel boasts fewer than 90,000 subscribers. Some videos have garnered over a million views, but the most popular video from the past three months only has about 40,000 views, as per YouTube’s 30-second qualifier standard.

As a dedicated viewer, I must admit that Merit TV gained some unwanted attention, primarily due to my personal involvement with ICE agents during raid operations during Donald Trump’s second term as president. The coverage on Merit TV featured Tom Homan, often referred to as the “border czar,” who presented these raids as exposing issues within supposed sanctuary cities, a perspective that I, along with Merit’s news team, seemed to accept without question. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to interview Trump multiple times during his 2024 campaign.

Despite attempts to expand its reach, Merit TV struggled to gain a substantial viewership in 2024. Primetime averaged only around 27,000 viewers, placing it at the 130th spot among both broadcast and cable networks. However, the company highlighted improvements made during January, although specific figures were not disclosed, stating that Merit TV climbed to the 65th position for that month. This would suggest an audience in the hundreds of thousands based on 2024 data, marking a peak for Merit TV. Regrettably, by the second quarter of 2025, its primetime viewership plummeted to just 17,000 viewers.

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2025-07-08 20:55