Scarborough, Brzezinski Renew MSNBC Contracts to 2029

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, cohosts of the long-running cable news program Morning Joe, have signed new contracts that will keep them on the air at MSNBC through the end of 2029, the network confirmed this week. The agreement secures the married couple's roles as they approach the show's 20th anniversary and positions them to cover the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.

The renewals come as MSNBC, now operating under the Versant media conglomerate, adjusts its morning lineup. The network recently announced that Morning Joe will return to its original three-hour format after expanding to four hours in 2022. Scarborough and Brzezinski requested the scale-back to allow more time for other projects, according to a network source. Stephanie Ruhle will host a new program in the 9 a.m. Eastern slot. In February, Morning Joe averaged 810,000 total viewers, a 16 percent increase from the previous year, and saw a 31 percent rise in the key 25-54 demographic.

Scarborough expressed enthusiasm for the extension in a statement to Axios. "Mika and I are excited to be staying with our Morning Joe family and friends who have been watching regularly for almost 20...