MSNBC reached a contract extension with Rachel Maddow that will see the anchor earn a reported $30-million per year. The network is paying their primetime star more money to work less as Maddow switches from a nightly show to a weekly one.
The Wrap spoke with industry insiders to get their reaction on Maddow’s new deal with MSNBC. One stated that the news channel was taking a gamble and was surprised that they offered her this reported deal.
“They’re really taking a gamble there,” Jeffrey Sconce, a professor in Northwestern University’s Screen Cultures program, said. “I’m kind of surprised that they are willing to pay that much to go from five nights a week to once a week.”
Another insider states that MSNBC had no choice but to work out a deal with Maddow because they had no one else to turn to as a replacement.
“A lot of times, people think of a tentpole as just propping up the programs before or after, but for Maddow, it’s much broader than that,” Jeffrey McCall, a professor of communications at DePauw University, said.
“She is the face of the channel, and without her there, who would MSNBC go to? [MSNBC] was somewhat over a barrel in that they really couldn’t walk away from the table.”
Maddow’s new contract will see her remain with MSNBC through the 2024 election.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
