NBC Extends Savannah Guthrie's Today Deal as Show Nears $203.5M

Savannah Guthrie signs a contract extension at Today, whose morning hours generated nearly $203.5 million in 2025 ad revenue, as NBC News Now cancels Stay Tuned.

Wire notes

  • Today generated nearly $203.5 million in ad revenue in 2025 for the 7-9 a.m. ET period, per Guideline.
  • Savannah Guthrie signed a contract extension to remain Today co-host alongside Craig Melvin.
  • NBC News canceled Stay Tuned on NBC News Now; the last episode aired Wednesday and Gadi Schwartz stays at the outlet.
  • Face the Nation senior executive producer Mary Hager will retire in January after 15 years.
  • Phil Mattingly's CNN Breaks It Down relaunched Tuesday, airing twice weekly at 10 a.m. ET.
Ticker: Savannah Guthrie to Remain on Today After Contract Extension
PhotoTicker: Savannah Guthrie to Remain on Today After Contract Extension — MountainDweller / pixabay

Savannah Guthrie has signed a contract extension with NBC News and will remain co-host of Today, according to reports, capping a year in which the anchor continued working while coping with her mother's sudden abduction from her Arizona home.

The deal signals how much NBC values the program's stability. Today, led by Guthrie and co-anchor Craig Melvin, generated nearly $203.5 million in advertising revenue in 2025 across the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET time period, according to Guideline. That figure keeps the morning franchise among the most valuable properties in television advertising, and it explains why the network moved to extend its long-running partnership with Guthrie rather than risk a change at the desk.

Guthrie has shown up for her duties throughout a trying year, dealing with her mother's absence after the abduction. Her continued presence has coincided with the show's sustained ratings success.

What else changed at NBC News this week?

NBC News canceled Stay Tuned, its streaming primetime news show on NBC News Now. The program aired its final episode on Wednesday. Host Gadi Schwartz will remain at the outlet, but a handful of positions will be eliminated, and staffers are being encouraged to apply for available jobs listed on the company's career site. NBC News will fill the 8 p.m. ET slot with reruns of the network's news programming.

The cut and the extension, announced in the same week, sketch the network's current priorities: protect the revenue engine in the morning, trim costs in streaming.

At CNN, chief domestic correspondent and anchor Phil Mattingly's streaming show CNN Breaks It Down relaunched on Tuesday with a twice-weekly schedule, airing Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. ET. The series is now available as a video podcast, airing live on CNN All Access and then on demand across podcast platforms.

Who is moving where?

CBS News is losing two senior figures from Face the Nation. Mary Hager, senior executive producer of the Sunday public affairs program and CBS News' executive editor of politics, will retire in January after a 15-year run. Anne Hsu, the show's executive producer, is relocating to CBS News' Hong Kong bureau.

MS NOW has hired Abby Livingston as a political reporter. Livingston was most recently at Puck and previously covered Capitol Hill for The Texas Tribune and Roll Call.

What does this change for marketers? The Guthrie extension preserves the on-air continuity behind Today's $203.5 million ad business, while the Stay Tuned cancellation removes one streaming placement option from media plans — a trade-off that defines how news organizations are now balancing linear strength against digital cost discipline.

via variety.com (Original)

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