Overview
- Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, in a deal first reported by Axios on Wednesday, will stay on MS NOW through 2029 after a network spokesman confirmed the extension.
- The network trimmed the show back to three hours from four after President Rebecca Kutler reset the daytime lineup to launch a new hour with Stephanie Ruhle.
- The hosts had long pushed for fewer live hours to ease the early-morning grind, and the shift frees time to grow their newsletter and podcast, which have topped 116,000 free sign-ups and lead daily downloads, according to MS NOW.
- The renewals keep the pair on air through the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race, which MS NOW sees as core to its political coverage strategy.
- Coverage split on emphasis, with the New York Post highlighting ratings gaps and a Versant-era hiring surge, while Variety and The Hollywood Reporter stressed brand expansion and the show's near 20-year run.