Chef Bobby Flay agrees new deal with Food Network after stalled negotiations

Bobby Flay has fronted several Food Network shows

Discovery’s Food Network in the US has inked a new exclusive deal with chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay.

Under the three-year deal, Flay will develop new content for the culinary network, as well as other brands within the Discovery portfolio.

The celebrity chef will continue to take an active role in the development and production of his own series through his Rock Shrimp Productions label.

The deal comes after reports that negotiations between Discovery and Flay had reached an impasse over financial terms, leading the chef to explore his options elsewhere. Ultimately, however, both sides reached an agreement, with Flay saying he was “thrilled to extend [his] relationship with Food Network and Discovery.”

He added: “Although these talks to renew took a little longer than expected, the important thing is that both sides are happy that we can now build on an already rock-solid foundation. Stay tuned for some incredibly exciting new shows as I promise to take food and cooking to places we’ve never imagined before.”

Flay, who owns several upscale restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas and beyond, has starred in dozens of Food Network original series, including BBQ Brawl, Beat Bobby Flay, Brunch @ Bobby’s, The Flay List and Iron Chef America.

More recently, Bobby and Giada in Italy, which follows Flay and Giada De Laurentiis as they explore Italian cuisine, premiered as one of the launch titles on Discovery’s direct-to-consumer offering Discovery+.