Bethenny Frankel, HBO Max team up for business competition series
The 'Real Housewives of New York' star will get a show of her own on HBO Max
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“Real Housewives of New York” star Bethenny Frankel is teaming up with TimeWarner Media’s upcoming streaming service HBO Max for an unscripted competition series, according to a Wednesday report from Variety.
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The 49-year-old television personality and entrepreneur is signed on for eight half-hour episodes with the service, and it will be titled “The Big Shot With Bethenny.” Aspiring business executives will reportedly compete for a chance to join Frankel’s lifestyle brand Skinnygirl – which encompasses apparel, food, beverage and health supplements.
“Aside from motherhood, what truly defines me as a person is being a driven, passionate and hard-working woman determined to make the impossible possible,” Frankel said in a statement. “My mantra is to come from a place of ‘yes’ and to find and create the solution.”
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She added, “I am an executor of visions, and I share and impart that information to those who work with me. MGM has been neck-in-neck with me with ideas and their execution. I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue my longstanding relationship with Mark Burnett on this series and pay this American Dream story forward.”
The series will be produced by MGM Television, B Real Productions and Big Fish Entertainment. However, Frankel will serve as an executive producer along with Mark Burnett, Barry Poznick, Dan Cesareo and Lucilla D’Agostino.
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“Bethenny is that rare talent whose creative instincts are equal to her business acumen and working with her to create this series has been an amazing collaboration,” said Barry Poznick, MGM’s president of unscripted & alternative television. “We’re giving fans what they want, access inside Bethenny’s businesses so they can see how she runs her empire, all while offering one fan the chance of a lifetime to join her executive team.”
Frankel inked her deal with MGM Television and Burnett in March 2019, according to Variety. It is also one of the first competition series to be ordered by HBO Max.
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“I first met Bethenny when I put her on the first season of ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ and she’s always both impressed and entertained me,” said Jennifer O’Connell, an executive vice president of original nonfiction and kids programming at HBO Max. “It’s incredible to see her empire continue to grow and I know that candidates will be clamoring to work for her.”
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Frankel joined the “Real Housewives of New York” when it premiered back in 2008. She exited the series in 2010 during the show’s third season but rejoined in 2015 during the show’s seventh season. She once again exited last year.
Forbes reported Frankel’s net worth to be $12 million in 2012, however, Celebrity Net Worth reports her more recent net worth is closer to $40 million. It also suggests that Frankel gets paid $40,000 per episode.