“Dirty Jobs” Host Mike Rowe Sues Discovery for 'at Least $2.04 Million' in Alleged Unpaid “Deadliest Catch” Narrating Fees
“Dirty Jobs” Host Mike Rowe Sues Discovery for 'at Least $2.04 Million' in Alleged Unpaid “Deadliest Catch” Narrating Fees
Charna Flam, Sean MandellThu, July 2, 2026 at 4:51 PM UTC
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Mike Rowe in June 2026Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty -
Dirty Jobs star Mike Rowe claims Discovery Talent Services breached their contract by not paying him for unused narration in Deadliest Catch episodes
He alleges that the company refused to honor the “pay-or-play” agreement for his involvement in Deadliest Catch
Rowe alleges he was not cast or compensated for 51 episodes of Deadliest Catch spinoffs, totaling "at least $2.04 million" owed
Mike Rowe, host of the reality show Dirty Jobs, is suing Discovery for over $2 million, alleging the company failed to pay him properly for narrating Deadliest Catch.
Rowe, 64, and his production company Lab Rat filed a lawsuit against Discovery Talent Services on Wednesday, July 1, in which he claimed the company breached its contract. The complaint alleges that the company refused to honor the “pay-or-play” agreement for his involvement in the Deadliest Catch and its spinoffs.
Rowe has narrated the reality series since 2005. According to the lawsuit, he and DTS made an agreement in 2020, in which he would get $40,000 per episode. He is to narrate the series; if he does not, he is to be compensated for the episodes he does not narrate, his lawyers claim in the filing.
DTS allegedly did not enlist Rowe for five episodes during season 21 of Deadliest Catch, according to the filing.
Mike RoweCredit: Discovery
Additionally, "Lab Rat and Rowe have also learned that the episodes of the original Deadliest Catch series that are aired internationally are materially different than the episodes aired in the United States," the filing adds. "To the extent any of these international episodes are determined to be 'originally produced episodes,' the pay-or-play agreement would apply to those as well."
The Deadliest Catch spinoffsinclude Deadliest Catch: The Bait (2013-2018), Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove (2016), Deadliest Catch: Bloodline (2020-2022), Deadliest Catch: The Viking Returns (2022) and Deadliest Catch: Northern Edge (premiering in 2027).
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The lawsuit alleges, “Because DTS exercised its choice not to use Rowe as a Narrator in at least 51 episodes of Deadliest Catch spinoffs, Lab Rat is entitled to payment of at least $2.04 million….”
The lawsuit claims Lab Rat is entitled to "at least $2.04 million," including potential "additional payments for 12 longer episodes," plus interest, and they're demanding a jury trial.
PEOPLE reached out to reps for Warner Bros. Discovery and Rowe for comment. The New York Postreported that Discovery had no comment on the lawsuit.
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Rowe previously filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery in June 2025, claiming the company did not pay him residuals after licensing the series to streaming platforms, including YouTube TV and DirectTV. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter at the time, a Discovery Network spokesperson said it values its "long-standing relationship with Rowe and have fulfilled our contractual obligations for royalty payments."
"We dispute the allegations and will defend ourselves against these claims," they added at the time.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
