Savannah Guthrie signs new deal to stay on 'Today'

Savannah Guthrie has signed a new contract with NBC News, securing her position as the lead anchor of the "Today" show. The network confirmed the extension to the Los Angeles Times on Friday. Her previous agreement was scheduled to expire later this year or in early 2027. The specific duration of the new deal has not been disclosed.

The move addresses speculation that Guthrie might reduce her public presence after the abduction of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, earlier this year. The anchor has been a central figure on the NBC morning program for 15 years. She joined the show in 2011 as a co-host and the network's chief legal analyst. By 2012, she was promoted to co-anchor. Since then, she has become a fixture on what the source describes as the No. 1 morning broadcast news program.

Guthrie has covered daily news stories and anchored the network's midterm election night coverage. She has also conducted interviews with movie stars, athletes, and presidents. The "Today" show currently features Guthrie alongside Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Carson Daly, and Jenna Bush Hager. Daly recently expanded his role at the network to become co-anchor of "Saturday Today".

Beyond her regular morning duties, Guthrie is scheduled to co-host the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She will appear on the broadcast alongside Al Roker and former "Today" co-host Hoda Kotb. In the coming months, she is also set to lead an NBC game show based on the New York Times' "Wordle" puzzle.

The contract extension arrives as the media industry undergoes structural changes. Comcast is expected to spin off NBCUniversal in the coming months. The new entity will operate as a separate publicly traded company. Comcast already separated its cable channels, including MS NOW, CNBC, and USA, into a company named Versant earlier this year.

The news comes while another NBC host, Maria Bartiromo, remains off the air. Bartiromo, who hosted "Sunday Morning Futures" and "Mornings with Maria," has been absent from the schedule since Aug. 9. The network has not announced a return date for her.