Dr. Phil Bets Big on Participatory TV with Envoy Network Launch

As of October 6th, 2025, iconic television personality Dr. Phil McGraw has made a major move in the media landscape by launching a new cable and streaming network, Envoy TV. This comes as a legal battle over his previous venture, Merit Street Media, continues in a Dallas court.

Envoy TV has secured a distribution deal with Charter Communications, one of the largest cable and broadband providers in the United States. This agreement will bring Envoy TV to Charter's video customers, including in major markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas-Fort Worth, which is the home base for both Dr. Phil and the new network.

In a statement, Dr. Phil expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, "I'm thrilled to be putting on the Charter team jersey and launching our new flagship Envoy TV network with my friends at the nation's leading cable and broadband provider." He highlighted Charter's "dedication to relentless innovation" as a key factor in making them the "perfect launchpad" for Envoy TV's "particivision" approach, which will allow users to upload their own content, some of which may be shared on the network's national feed.

Envoy TV's programming will feature a mix of original and existing content from Dr. Phil, as well as contributions from comedian and TV host Steve Harvey. This comes as a bankruptcy trial over Dr. Phil's previous venture, Merit Street Media, continues in a Dallas court. In that case, Trinity Broadcasting, a Christian broadcaster that had agreed to distribute Merit TV, has countersued, claiming that McGraw failed to deliver on viewership and ad revenue targets.

Despite the ongoing legal challenges, Dr. Phil remains optimistic about the future of Envoy TV, stating that if Trinity "stayed in long enough, it would have been the best investment they ever made."