Savannah Guthrie’s tenure on “Today” still has a lot going forward.
Guthrie has extended her current contract with NBC News, according to a person familiar with the matter, a move that will keep her on the desk of the network’s flagship “Today” program at a time when the series has pulled ahead of its major competitors in ratings. The move will also serve to quell speculation about whether the journalist is interested in remaining in her role after publicly suffering a huge family tragedy – the unsolved kidnapping of her mother, Nancy.
NBC News declined to make executives available for comment. The Breaker newsletter previously reported on Guthrie’s contract extension.
The anchor’s deal was thought to expire later this year or in early 2027, and NBC News’ decision to continue its relationship with her runs counter to current trends in television news. Indeed, top anchors such as Hoda Kotb, Neal Cavuto, Chris Wallace and others have left places like NBC News, Fox News and CNN as media companies scrutinize their spending in the streaming era and their owners mull new arrangements that could leave them smaller or reduced to a larger conglomerate. Comcast, NBC’s owner, intends to spin off the company within months, leaving it significantly smaller than it was when combined with Comcast’s large cable business as well as the media assets of the company now known as Versant.
Guthrie, however, has an excellent reputation at NBCUniversal. She is widely considered a guiding force on “Today,” a flagship program she co-hosts with Craig Melvin. Even though the morning news audience is not what it was decades ago, it is still considered dedicated and important. The first two hours of “Today” — watched by about 3 million viewers each weekday — generated nearly $203.5 million in advertising in 2025, according to Guideline, an ad spending tracker. Add in the 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. hours and NBC raked in an estimated $315.4 million from the weekday editions of the program.
She also plays a key role in other parts of media coverage, including the network’s recent election night event, which was the most watched among traditional television media. Additionally, Guthrie is the host of a new show based on the popular New York Times game “Wordle” that is expected to debut in the coming months on NBC. “She’s fantastic,” Jimmy Fallon, whose production company Electric Hot Dog is one of the show’s backers, said in a recent interview with Variety.
As of Nov. 8, “Today” accounted for 39 percent of the audience that had tuned in to one of the broadcast network’s three morning shows so far, according to Nielsen data. It is well ahead of ABC’s “Good Morning America” and CBS’ “CBS Mornings” both in overall viewership and among audiences aged 25 to 54 – the demographic most coveted by advertisers in news programs.
Guthrie can deliver hard-hitting interviews with journalists and explain complex legal issues, as well as chat with sports figures and movie stars. Internally, she is known for helping the “Today” staff set the tone for each day’s news cycle. And she helped NBC and “Today” with some of their biggest and most public trials.
Guthrie’s presence as co-anchor helped the series move forward after Ann Curry’s awkward exit in 2012, which sparked a backlash from viewers. When Matt Lauer was exiled in 2017 following revelations of “inappropriate sexual behavior,” Guthrie moved forward, this time with Kotb beside her (Lauer has denied all allegations). Guthrie also helped NBC navigate a whirlwind 2020 when the news division decided to hold a town hall with President Trump during his first term across from an ABC News event with then-candidates Joe Biden and George Stephanopoulos. Guthrie elevated the event from publicity stunt status by forcing the president into short answers — no easy feat — and adding fact-checks and follow-ups. “’You’re the president, you’re not like someone’s crazy uncle who can retweet anything,’” Guthrie told President Trump after being asked why he recently retweeted a conspiracy theory.
If Trump didn’t like the interview, he didn’t show it. He was among those who offered to help the Guthrie family during their moment of crisis, providing government assistance in the search for Nancy Guthrie.
Major TV media appear to be rethinking their position when it comes to lead presenters. To be sure, they are increasingly interested in so-called “creators” – independent journalists, digital entrepreneurs and voice experts on specific topics – as younger consumers turn to video podcasts and email newsletters. But it’s also better to have a well-known, reliable personality to provide viewers with the information they need. CBS News continues to work with Gayle King on its morning show, an acknowledgment that her profile is hard-earned and difficult to replicate. So is Norah O’Donnell, the former “CBS Evening News” anchor who has taken on new roles on both “CBS Mornings” and “60 Minutes.”
It’s almost as if the networks have recognized that a strong relationship with viewers, once acquired, is not spent lightly.
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