Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski Solidify Their Power at MS NOW as They Sign New Multi-Year Contract Days After Shortening Their Show

MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski locked down a new multi-year contract just days after getting their morning show shortened by an hour. The news comes as “Morning Joe” is in its 20th year on the air, and roughly a week after MS NOW’s president, Rebecca Kutler, announced that the morning show would return to its three-hour format, down from four. The return to a three-hour format led to a major shake-up at the network to fill programming gaps, including shifting the 11 pm host, Stephanie Ruhle, to the less prestigious daytime slot. The decision to re-sign Mr. Scarborough and Ms. Brzezinski, who are married, notably came before there was any news about the future of the network’s top-rated star, Rachel Maddow. The renewed contract is a strong signal that MS NOW executives view “Morning Joe” as crucial to the network’s success.While the size of the deal is not public, the “Morning Joe” pair are known to be canny negotiators, and their deal is believed to be as large or larger than the contract for Ms. Maddow, who is currently making $25 million a year to work one day a week. Ms. Maddow’s previous contract – about $30 million a year for one day a week’s work – turned into a major embarrassment for NBC News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, who was later passed over for CEO of MS NOW’s spun off parent company, Versant, and now presides over a vastly shrunken domain.In a statement, Mr. Scarborough told Axios, “Four more years! – as they say at conventions.”“Mika and I are excited to be staying with our ‘Morning Joe’ family and friends who have been watching regularly for almost 20 years,” he added. It’s not public if the deal has attendance requirements. In the last few years, the show has been plagued by its co-hosts’ chronic absenteeism and can lean on its panelists for hosting duties. Ms. Kutler told Axios that “Joe and Mika have created something that cannot be replicated.”“As we build towards the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election, ‘Morning Joe’ will continue to be a singular destination for presidents and newsmakers from all political parties,” she said. “Morning Joe” has become an influential program among Washington elites and was a favorite of President Biden. Over the last 12 months, the show’s 9 a.m. hour has seen its viewership rise 24 percent, and 64 percent in the key 25-54-year-old demo. Meanwhile, the show’s “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe,” has more than 116,000 free subscribers.The decision to renew their contracts, while giving them their desired shortening of the show, comes despite reported drama at the network. Last December, a review of their schedules by the Washington Free Beacon showed that they appeared on air together for 70 out of 124 episodes between May 27 and November 15. Their absences led to questions from the staff about whether they were sleeping in and letting the other host the show, which is primarily filmed from a studio in their house. According to a former editor of OK!, Rob Shuter, their absences led to “chaos.” However, when that report was published, there were signs that things were changing as the couple started showing up for work together every day of the week. There has been speculation about Ms. Maddow’s future at the network due to the controversy over her compensation and featherweight workload.. Last year, Ms. Maddow temporarily worked five days a week to cover the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term. But when that time was up, despite helping the network’s ratings, she went back to her one day a week schedule. She also criticized the network for firing a far-left host, Joy Reid, who is black, saying that the decision was a “mistake” and “indefensible.”Her harsh, public criticism of the network and her insistence on working one day a week raised questions about whether the network will part ways with her or let her keep her one-day-a-week schedule due to her drawing an average of 2 million viewers. MS NOW did not comment.

Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski Solidify Their Power at MS NOW as They Sign New Multi-Year Contract Days After Shortening Their Show

Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski Solidify Their Power at MS NOW as They Sign New Multi-Year Contract Days After Shortening Their Show

More from the New York Sun

Democrats Hold Major Enthusiasm Advantage Headed Into the Midterms, Polls Show

A Sublime Deviation From the Norm

Sonos Gives Its Headphones Another Hearing

Israel Calls on French Jews To Move to the Jewish State as Riots and Arson Engulf France; Macron Addresses Nation

Why So Many American Men Are Afraid of Dressing Well

NATO Eyes Mounting Drone Threat to Romania After Airspace Incursions, Attacks on Tankers

Blakeman Could Reverse the Economic Havoc Wreaked on New York by Hochul and Cuomo

Trump’s Bond With Voters, Cemented by 2020 Shift at McDonald’s, Seems Strained Ahead of Midterms

More from the New York Sun

Democrats Hold Major Enthusiasm Advantage Headed Into the Midterms, Polls Show

A Sublime Deviation From the Norm

Sonos Gives Its Headphones Another Hearing

Israel Calls on French Jews To Move to the Jewish State as Riots and Arson Engulf France; Macron Addresses Nation

Why So Many American Men Are Afraid of Dressing Well

NATO Eyes Mounting Drone Threat to Romania After Airspace Incursions, Attacks on Tankers

Blakeman Could Reverse the Economic Havoc Wreaked on New York by Hochul and Cuomo

Trump’s Bond With Voters, Cemented by 2020 Shift at McDonald’s, Seems Strained Ahead of Midterms