'Years‑long fraudulent scheme': Christian network sues Dr. Phil over $500 million deal

Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN), the world’s largest Christian television network, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against TV show host Dr. Phil (Phil McGraw) and his production company, Peteski Productions, alleging fraud and breach of contract in what TBN describes as a “years‑long fraudulent scheme.”

The suit stems from a $500 million agreement intended to produce and distribute 160 new 90‑minute episodes of "Dr. Phil "after McGraw’s departure from CBS in 2023.

Dr. Phil, a MAGA-friendly anchor who has been vocally supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids under President Donald Trump's administration, has been accused by the network of promising more than he delivered when he inked a $500 million agreement to produce and distribute his show following his departure from CBS in 2023.

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The contract called for 90‑minute episodes filmed over six to seven months. But TBN alleges these promised episodes never materialized, despite the network constructing a cutting‑edge production facility in Texas specifically for their creation.

The lawsuit, lodged in a federal bankruptcy court in Texas, accuses McGraw of orchestrating a bidding war illusion between TBN and CBS through deceptive statements.

TBN further claims that McGraw initially agreed to transfer the rights to the Dr. Phil Show’s archive but then “brazenly demanded that TBN pay him $100 million to obtain a 50 percent interest in the media library.”

According to the suit, McGraw’s company Peteski “reiterated numerous representations related to the then‑current advertising revenue, product integrations, production costs, and viewership of the Dr. Phil Show.”

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On the basis of these purported misrepresentations, McGraw persuaded TBN to pay $20 million upfront, along with annual payments of $50 million for 10 years, in exchange for 160 new episodes of Dr. Phil.