Savannah Guthrie Extends Her Today Contract, Staying at NBC After a Year of Heartbreak
(Illustration: USA Current Affaires)
Savannah Guthrie is not going anywhere. The longtime Today co-anchor has extended her contract with NBC News, ending months of uncertainty about her future and keeping one of morning television's most familiar faces exactly where viewers expect to find her.
The extension was confirmed to the Associated Press by a person close to the situation, and confirmed separately by People magazine and The Hollywood Reporter. Page Six reported that Guthrie's previous contract had been due to expire at the end of 2026, with NBC executives waiting to hear whether she planned to continue. The answer, it turns out, was yes. The length of the new agreement and its financial terms have not been disclosed.
"Savannah is the best in the business," a source told Page Six. "We want her to stay for as long as she wants to stay." Another source told People on Thursday, November 12: "Savannah is not only so unbelievably strong, but she is the glue that keeps the show together."
Fifteen Years at the Desk
Guthrie, 54, joined NBC News in 2007 as a White House correspondent before moving to Today in June 2011 as chief legal correspondent and co-host of the show's third hour. She became a main co-anchor in July 2012, replacing Ann Curry, and has now spent more than 15 years at the network. She currently shares the anchor desk with Craig Melvin, who succeeded Hoda Kotb in January 2025 after Kotb's retirement.
The renewal comes as Today enjoys its strongest ratings performance in years, according to TheWrap, which first confirmed the deal after it was initially reported by Breaker. For NBC, keeping Guthrie was never really in doubt — but the timing of the announcement, after a year of private anguish, gives it a weight no ordinary contract story carries.
A Year of Heartbreak
The extension arrives during the most difficult year of Guthrie's life. Her mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1, 2026. Police believe she was abducted, and the Pima County Sheriff's Department continues to investigate the case. Nine months on, there are still no answers.
Guthrie took a two-month hiatus from Today after her mother's disappearance, returning to the show on April 6. She has continued to anchor through the ordeal, and her decision to re-sign — rather than step away — is being read by colleagues as a statement of resilience. As one insider put it, she is continuing her "normal" job even as her family waits for news.
Reports in 2024 put Guthrie's annual salary at between $7 million and $8 million, though NBC has never confirmed the figure and the terms of the new deal remain private. What is clear is that the network wanted her to stay — and that she wanted to stay too.
What Comes Next
For viewers, the news is simple: the woman who has greeted America each morning for a decade and a half will keep doing so. Guthrie's steadiness has become part of the show's identity, and her return from hiatus earlier this year was one of the most watched moments of the programme's recent history.
The search for Nancy Guthrie continues, and the family has asked the public to keep sharing information. But for now, there is at least one piece of good news in a year that has offered very little of it: Savannah Guthrie is staying at Today, and the show she helped build will keep her at its centre.
Morning television has had a big week on both sides of the Atlantic: Johnny Depp opened up about fatherhood on CBS Mornings in one of his most candid interviews in years, and John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live for a seventh time with Phoebe Bridgers as musical guest.
Are you glad Savannah Guthrie is staying on Today? Let us know in the comments.
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