Hey, if A&E wants another season of the most popular reality show on cable they best fork over the bucks for more duck, Jack!
THR is reporting that the bearded stars of the smash hit Duck Dynasty are in negotiations for a serious pay upgrade and that this salary standoff is holding up a 4th season renewal.
The Robertsons, represented by WME, are looking to get paid over $200,000 an episode from the network and the show’s production company, Gurney Productions, to return for a 4th season. They’re also wanting additional raises for any subsequent seasons.
A&E has declined comment but a source claims that the network doesn’t recoup as much of its investments as some other networks do for their reality hits. A&E has no stake in all of Phil and the boy’s branding efforts, including the Duck Commander, Buck Commander businesses or the money, said to be tens of thousands of dollars, that they receive for their various business and religious speaking engagements.
In spite of this, the show is such a success the deal is as close to a must for A&E as you’re going to get.
As for the Robertson’s, Phil and Willie don’t come across as folks who’d have much patience for getting short-changed. The family is real proud, as they should be, of their show and how they’re able to get across their message of family and faith to such a wide audience, but at the same time they’d be just fine financially without the cameras around.
Something tells me that this is gonna get resolved and all parties involved will be happy, happy, happy.
