NBC Universal executives executives are breathing a sigh of relief after locking down MSNBC star Rachel Maddow to a new multi-year contract. The network’s top-rated host was reportedly considering exiting when her contract ends next year, perhaps even starting her own media company. But now Maddow can significantly grow her brand under the NBC umbrella, putting her stamp on a variety of projects beyond her nightly show. Maddow’s expanded portfolio includes “books and movies of her choice,” Insider revealed, while the Wall Street Journal reported that she “is starting her own production company that will bring its potential projects to NBCUniversal first.”
Maddow, who rose to prominence during the Obama years and became a daily destination for liberal America coming to grips with Donald Trump’s presidency, had tapped superagent Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, and the talent agency’s president, Mark Shapiro, to represent her in contract negotiations with NBCU following months of reported discussions with other suitors. Netflix, Spotify, WarnerMedia, and Disney were among those vying for her attention, according to Axios. The outcome is a huge win for MSNBC—and its parent company’s new chairman Cesar Conde—as the network, and its cable competitors, navigate the post-Trump era.
Mainstream outlets are trying to figure out how to retain the interest that came with the chaotic Trump news cycle, and for MSNBC, keeping Maddow was crucial. The 9pm host last month brought in a reported average of 2.3 million total viewers, putting MSNBC only behind Fox News. Coverage of the previous administration also boosted Fox’s own highest-rated host, Tucker Carlson (who, in a previous cable life, helped bring Maddow to MSNBC). Amid speculation about Maddow’s next career moves, the Daily Beast noted that MSNBC executives were acutely aware that the network “does not have an immediate or obvious successor if Maddow chooses to leave.”
Maddow appears to be reaping the benefits of the power she has amassed, given the nature of her “much broader deal at NBCUniversal,” as Shapiro told Insider. Maddow will continue to host The Rachel Maddow Show on a daily basis for now, but the “five-day-a-week show will come to an end sometime next year as Maddow shifts gears to more of a weekly format,” CNN’s Brian Stelter reports. While plans are still being set, the “scheduling flexibility” that Shapiro noted to Insider should allow her to focus on the expanded portfolio that NBCU offered her with the new contract. The new role, and the upcoming 2024 election, will once again force the company to think about who might eventually take over her time slot.
Reports of Maddow’s potential departure from the network didn’t surprise many in the industry, as the host has been vocal about the toll of professional burnout over the years—in addition to her nightly show, Maddow has written multiple books—and expressed interest in pursuing other content, such as podcasts. The scope of her new deal with NBCU, which comes as the company is making further strides into the video-streaming space, is a logical next step for both parties. “As the definitions of media, content, distributions and platforms all change, the Maddow brand now has more outlets than ever,” Axios notes.
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