Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of the hit home makeover show "Fixer Upper" are leaving the show because of HGTV’s “horrible contracts” and the couple is betting on landing a bigger deal with Discovery.
The Gaineses recently announced that the upcoming Season 5 of “Fixer Upper,” which starts next month, will be their last on HGTV, even though it is the highest-rated show at the network and its biggest ad revenue generator.
HGTV is owned by Scripps, which is in the process of being bought by Discovery Communications — and insiders say Chip and Joanna are betting that Discovery will make them a bigger deal once the sale is finalized.
An HGTV network insider told Page Six, “Many years ago, when Scripps, which also owns Food Network, signed Rachael Ray, they didn’t think about Rachael starting a magazine, launching product lines, getting endorsement deals and her books selling millions of copies.
“And so while Food Network turned Rachael Ray into a star, she made tens of millions and Scripps got none of it. After Rachael, they made sure no talent deal would ever put them in that situation again. Since the Gaineses were relatively unknown when they started, they signed the general Scripps talent contract.”
The source added, “Scripps talent contracts are very restrictive. The talent can’t do anything without their approval — any appearance, any publicity, any endorsement, any product — you have to ask them for permission. It is awful. And on top of that, Scripps takes a big percentage of everything you make — books, appearances, endorsements, products. If you make money, they take most of the money.”
The Gaineses’ announcement they would quit was a bombshell for fans who have followed the couple on their journey from a small construction and decorating firm in Waco, Texas, to huge celebrities. Since the pilot aired in May 2013, “Fixer Upper” has become one of the highest-rated shows in HGTV’s history, attracting nearly 4.5 million viewers
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