Is Bobby Flay Leaving The Food Network?

Celebrity chef and restauranteur Bobby Flay is preparing to depart from Food Network, a division of Discovery Inc. DISCA, according to a news report in Variety.

What Happened: The report, which cited unnamed “sources close to the situation,” stated Flay and Food Network held lengthy contract negotiations but concluded their talks without reaching an agreement.

Flay’s current three-year contract concludes at the end of this year. Variety’s sources claimed the network made the decision to “move on as the sides were far apart on financial terms.” Neither Food Network nor Flay commented on the report.

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Why It Matters: Since joining Food Network in 1994, Flay has been one of its most prominent and popular stars. He has hosted 16 different series on both the network and its’ spinoff Cooking Channel including “Boy Meets Grill” and “Beat Bobby Flay,” and has made guest appearances on several of the network’s highly-rated programs including “Iron Chef” and “Chopped.”

Outside of Food Network, Flay authored 14 cookbooks and a talk show on Sirius XM SIRI. He operates restaurants in New York City and Las Vegas and has an ownership stake in the Bobby’s Burger Palace chain.

Photo: Chase McAlpine / Flickr Creative Commons.