I'm sure the $3M were estimated total production costs.
I'm also sure this gets resolved (settled).......and all of them go back to work.
this is how deals are negotiated, many times in hollywood.
I seriously doubt they spent anywhere near $3 million total. It's damned near a cheap documentary. The only "production" is the "After the Catch" show.
I would not be at all surprised if the suits and the lawyers tried to replace them. That you do not understand the "allure" of the show should be a sign of that, the lawyers and suits don't either.
Those guys don't care that much about money. That you don't understand that is another sure sign as to why you don't see the "allure" of the show. They're cut from an entirely different cloth than the vast majority, that's the reason a lot of people really like those guys. Most people don't understand that.
If it ain't resolved by now, it likely won't be, those guys are fishing already, they're out for bait and the early crab seasons already.