McGraw announced the launch<\/a> of his new venture in November 2023, after his once\u2013most-watched daytime syndicated talk show ended<\/a> on CBS. He immediately shifted his focus to primetime programming, telling Deadline he was \u201ccompelled to engage with a broader audience\u201d due to his \u201cgrave concerns for the American family.\u201d<\/p>\n The new media company\u2014named after McGraw\u2019s \u201crespect for the meritocracy on which the country was built\u201d\u2014with offices in the Dallas\u2013Fort Worth area of Texas, introduced Dr. Phil Primetime, promising that the show and network would \u201cstand strong and fight for the very soul and sanity of America.\u201d <\/p>\n In April 2024, McGraw\u2019s media network launched, in partnership with a religious broadcaster, Trinity Broadcasting Network<\/a>. \u201cWe are thrilled to embark on this groundbreaking journey by creating a network that is not only widely accessible but also a hub for diverse, engaging content,\u201d said Joel Cheatwood, COO of Merit Street Media, in a statement at the time. <\/p>\n Within months of the launch, McGraw\u2019s aspirations began to crumble. <\/p>\n Despite interviews with prominent figures like Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> and President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2014whose Madison Square Garden campaign rally McGraw attended<\/a>, saying the then-presidential candidate was not a \u201cbully\u201d\u2014 the network lagged in viewership<\/a>. <\/p>\n In August 2024, the company laid off<\/a> 38 staff members. A few months later, Professional Bull Riders announced the termination<\/a> of a deal with Merit Street, claiming the company had breached the contract by \u201cfailing to pay rights fees owed.\u201d <\/p>\n In a statement, McGraw\u2019s company said that Merit Street had \u201cagreed to work out its differences with PBR in a confidential proceeding\u201d and was \u201csurprised\u201d by the termination announcement.<\/p>\n The breaking point came in June 2025, when the company laid off another 40 employees<\/a> and went on a \u201csummer hiatus,\u201d shelving footage<\/a> of interviews with ICE officials that McGraw\u2014who had become outspoken<\/a> about the agency\u2014had promised would air, following ICE raids in Chicago.<\/p>\n A month later, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy<\/a> and sued Trinity Broadcasting Network, describing TBN\u2019s services as \u201ccomically dysfunctional.\u201d <\/p>\n Professional Bull Riders objected to the bankruptcy<\/a>, citing McGraw\u2019s launch of a new entertainment company, Envoy Media, in partnership with Steve Harvey, and alleging that he \u201corchestrated\u201d the Chapter 11 filing to \u201cavoid menacing litigation against PBR and jumpstart Envoy Media Co.\u201d<\/p>\n Trinity Broadcasting Network intensified the blow by filing a countersuit<\/a> against Merit Street, alleging fraud and breach of contract.<\/p>\n![\"Dr](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/N7CWIABFAJG57PSKRZYZYKKPP4.jpg\")
Dr. Phil, who told The New York Times he “wasn’t qualified” to discuss politics, campaigned for Donald Trump last year. ANGELA WEISS\/Angela Weiss\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2MDBL2ZMTZEYLO7NZQDL5M7LWU.jpg\")
Dr. Phil’s new network, Envoy TV, has partnered with Steve Harvey for content. Dan Boczarski\/NBCU Photo Bank\/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images <\/p>\n