Mike Rowe sues Discovery for $2 million in alleged unpaid narrating fees

(NewsNation) — TV personality Mike Rowe is suing Discovery for allegedly not paying him more than $2 million for narrating the hit series “Deadliest Catch.”

According to People Magazine, the lawsuit was filed Wednesday by the “Dirty Jobs” host and his production company, Lab Rat. It claims that Discovery Talent Services breached its contract by failing to pay him for narrating at least 51 episodes of “Deadliest Catch” and its spinoffs.

Rowe, who has narrated the series since 2005, claims he entered into a “pay-to-play” agreement with Discovery in 2020. That means Rowe gets $40,000 an episode, whether he narrates it or not.

While the lawsuit alleges Rowe didn’t narrate five episodes during “Deadliest Catch” season 21, his company learned that international episodes of the original series were “materially different” than those that aired in the United States. His company claims that these episodes are then considered “originally produced,” so the pay-to-play agreement would apply to those as well.

In all, Lab Rat claims Discovery Talent Services owes at least $2.04 million in lost wages, including potential payments for 12 extended episodes of “Deadliest Catch,” plus interest. Rowe and his company are asking for a jury trial.

This isn’t the first lawsuit Rowe has filed against Warner Bros. Discovery. In June 2025, he sued for residuals he claims he never received after “Deadliest Catch” was put on streaming platforms.

Tags

Mike Rowe

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.