Out lesbian MSNBC TV personality Rachel Maddow has reached a contract extension with MSNBC, Business Insider reported, but changes are likely.
Maddow, 48, signed a “multi-year” deal that will allow her to remain as host of “The Rachel Maddow Show” for the time being while also pursuing new ventures at NBCUniversal, according to Business Insider. However, CNN reported that “The Rachel Maddow Show” will come to an end next spring and Maddow will instead host specials and appear on MSNBC, but not as frequently.
The extension was reached after contract negotiations spilled into the public in recent weeks when the Daily Beast reported that Maddow was considering leaving the “Rachel Maddow Show” at the conclusion of her contract next year. Sources told the Daily Beast that Maddow was weighing whether to exit the position to spend more time with her family, focus on her personal life, and potentially pursue new opportunities in podcasting. The Daily Beast also reported that Maddow was thinking of launching a new media company.
The new contract allows Maddow to spearhead several multimedia projects, “including books and movies of her choice,” a source told Business Insider.
Maddow was backed in her contract talks by agent Ari Emanuel, the CEO of talent agency holding company Endeavor. Mark Shapiro, who serves as president of Endeavor, told Business Insider that Maddow now has “a much broader deal at NBCUniversal” and noted that she will have a more flexible schedule.
Maddow has hosted the show since 2008, where she has covered mostly political topics, from daily developments to elections and national news. Maddow garnered a Grammy nomination last year for her audiobook, “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth.” Maddow has, however, also faced criticism for focusing so heavily on Trump-Russia stories throughout the Trump era.
MSNBC has not commented on the details of the new contract.
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