Food Network Re-Slices the Pie
Celebrity-Making Channel Seeks Share of Stars’ Non-TV Endeavors
The network has begun negotiating deals with new talent that go beyond hosting shows and give the network a share in online ventures, merchandise and cookbook sales and other deals that have made folks like Emeril Lagasse rich.
Mr. Lagasse, who did his first Food Network show for $50 an episode, now generates $150 million a year, including $90 million from restaurants, according to Mr. Lagasse in an interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine last year. There are Emeril sausages, Emeril seasonings, Emeril bowls, Emeril knives and Emeril wines.
Food Network doesn’t get a piece of that, but it wants to in the future.
“Once we determine that somebody is going to be a Food Network talent, then on a going-forward basis for new talent it will be our position that it’s good for us and it’s good for them if we work together on all ancillary businesses,” said John Lansing, president of Scripps Networks, parent of Food Network.
With an eye on growing its nontelevision business, Scripps is also broadening Food Network President Brooke Johnson’s authority to include all brand activities. Ms. Johnson is looking to add a general manager to the network. The GM’s role will be either to handle the day-to-day operations of the channel or to oversee new business development.
“We’re getting into a position where the brand is going to be able to live in a lot of different venues and platforms,” Ms. Johnson said. “As we go into the future, we’re looking to a more partnership relationship with our talent than perhaps we had when we just thought of ourselves as a television brand.”
While Food Network may have missed the boat on some of Mr. Lagasse’s ventures, Ms. Johnson said that “we’ve gotten a great deal out of that relationship and it remains a really important relationship to us.” (The network does have an interest in the new King World-distributed syndicated talk show featuring Food personality Rachael Ray.) more…
