Steve Harvey is joining Dr. Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media, the partners said Thursday, with Harvey taking an equity stake in the new network.
As part of the deal, Merit Street acquired 300-plus episodes of Harvey’s NBC-produced daytime talker, Steve, which originally aired on TV stations from 2017-19. Harvey also hosts syndicated game show Family Feud as well as a celebrity version on ABC primetime. He’s also hosted his nationally syndicated morning radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, since 2000.
Harvey’s first project for the network will see him co-executive producing a documentary special about his Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for the network, which will feature both Harvey and McGraw. The mentorship program is about giving young men the tools they need to grow into leaders. The special is slated to air this fall.
“Partnering with my good friend on such an innovative network allows me to continue my mission of empowering and inspiring individuals through entertainment,“ Harvey said in a statement. “The docustyle special highlighting the impactful work of the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation is particularly close to my heart. I believe in the power of mentorship to transform lives and look forward to sharing this journey with viewers. The positive impact we can create together will be unlike anything seen before," said Harvey in a statement.”
“Steve and I have been personal friends for over a decade, and it’s always the best experience when we work together,” said McGraw, also in a statement. “It’s easy to say that he's the funniest human I’ve ever met,” he continued. “But his kindness and his passion to help others are really unmatched.”
Besides Harvey, Merit Street also has signed such talent as Chris Harrison, former host of ABC’s The Bachelor, and Nancy Grace, former host of an eponymous show on HLN. Grace is anchoring a true-crime show that airs weekday afternoons on Merit Street.
Merit Street also will run morning and evening news blocks. The morning block, titled “Morning on Merit Street,” will be co-hosted by Dominique Sachse and Fanchon Stinger, while evening’s "The News on Merit Street" will feature senior anchor Kris Gutierrez and co-hosts Lyndsay Keith and Loni Coombs.
McGraw, who starred in and executive produced daytime talker Dr. Phil for 21 years, will debut his new series, Dr. Phil Primetime, on Merit Street April 2, when Merit Street Media will launch across the Trinity Broadcast Network.
