Will ‘The Rachel Maddow Show’ survive another year?

It’s been confirmed. Rachel Maddow has signed a new multi-year contract with MSNBC. Not only will The Rachel Maddow Show be surviving for another year, but we can expect even more content from the TV host. Insider first revealed Maddow’s new deal with MSNBC and the details of the contract prove that the host is invaluable to the network.

Although Rachel Maddow will be staying on the network, we can expect some changes in her position. The deal hints at future media endeavors that surpass just her nightly live news show. Here’s what to expect from the coveted new host’s role at MSNBC.

The Rachel Maddow Show remains (for now)

On Sunday, Insider’s Claire Atkinson reported that Mark Shapiro, from Maddow’s talent agency, told her that Maddow “is staying home where she belongs with a much broader deal at NBCUniversal and couldn’t be happier.”  

MSNBC’s new contract confirms that the host will continue her role on The Rachel Maddow Show for the foreseeable future. However, sources detail that there are plans for the weeknight show to convert to a weekly schedule. Atkinson detailed her conversation with Shapiro who described that Maddow will have a more flexible schedule. 

She wrote, “Shapiro would not comment further and declined to say how much Maddow would be paid, saying only she would have more scheduling flexibility and will be expanding on her ideas.”

Maddow has previously discussed the toll it takes to continue the five nights a week news show. In 2019, she told The New York Times, “I’m realizing now — 10, 11 years into this — that it’s fine to work long days. But it’s not good for you to work incessant long days, five days a week, 50 weeks a year for 10 years.”

Fortunately, Maddow’s new contract allows her to expand her role with MSNBC and reduce her workload with her weeknight show. So, what other endeavors does the popular TV host have up her sleeve for the network?

Other projects Maddow may explore

Besides being a host for her news show, Rachel Maddow is also an author and podcast host. The Wall Street Journal reported that this new deal allows Maddow the freedom to explore various formats including films and TV shows. They added, “Ms. Maddow is starting her own production company that will bring its potential projects to NBCUniversal first.”

Currently, networks are all shifting into the new world of streaming platforms. Thus, we can expect various forms of content from the host including series, podcasts, live streams, and more. MSNBC is allowing Rachel Maddow to explore her full potential within the network.

Rachel Maddow’s high ratings throughout her career

Maddow has been hosting her 9 pm weeknight show since 2008. Throughout her thirteen-year career as the host, The Rachel Maddow Show has remained as MSNBC’s highest-rated series.

Last month, Maddow brought in nearly 2.3 million viewers which makes her the network’s most popular host by far. Runner up goes to host Lawrence O’Donnell, who averaged 1.5 million viewers. It’s clear that MSNBC couldn’t afford to lose Rachel Maddow to another network. 

According to Axios, there were plenty of other powerhouses looking to pick up the coveted TV host. Companies such as Netflix, Spotify, WarnerMedia, and Disney were apparently all in talks with Maddow to expand her career. Additionally, MSNBC couldn’t let Maddow walk away considering it’s been reported that executives didn’t have an immediate successor if she left.

Luckily for MSNBC, Rachel Maddow has chosen to stay with her home network and continue the successful weeknight news show. In the future, we can expect new media content from the host including podcasts, series, and perhaps films. 

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