Despite ratings challenges, Rachel Maddow signs a new deal to stay at MSNBC.

Rachel Maddow has signed a new contract with MSNBC, ensuring her continued presence on the ratings-challenged network for the foreseeable future.

In 2022, Rachel Maddow reduced the frequency of "The Rachel Maddow Show" to once a week, despite her reported salary of approximately $30 million per year, to focus on other projects.

Maddow, a prominent media personality, will receive a $5 million per year "pay cut" and will earn $25 million annually for the next five years, according to The Ankler, a media company that launched in 2022 and primarily covers Hollywood.

An MSNBC insider close to Maddow confirmed the deal but disputed the $25 million per year figure.

MSNBC declined to comment to Planet Chronicle Digital.

The fate of MSNBC's name, editorial direction, and shared resources is uncertain due to Comcast's decision to spin off NBCUniversal cable assets, including MSNBC, into a separate company that will not be linked to NBC News.

MSNBC may undergo changes in the future, but its top star will continue to host on Mondays.

During its peak, "The Rachel Maddow Show" aired every weeknight and frequently vied for the title of "most-watched cable news host." Currently, Maddow only hosts on Monday nights, with Alex Wagner taking over Tuesdays-through-Friday. In addition to her Monday night show, Maddow is a prominent figure in MSNBC's coverage of major events, such as Election Night, and also hosts podcasts and works on various side projects.

Rachel Maddow's program was successful due to her criticism of President-elect Donald Trump, and she pushed unproven theories linking him to Russia. The show attracted 2.5 million viewers in 2017, 2.9 million in 2018, 2.8 million in 2019, and 3.2 million in 2020. However, media insiders predicted that Maddow would not last long in her job during the first year of Biden's presidency in 2021. She eventually reduced her workload after a prolonged break.

In 2024, "The Rachel Maddow Show" has averaged 2.4 million viewers on Monday nights, but many of them have tuned out after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris on Election Day. MSNBC has seen its audience decline following Trump's victory, and many believe that even liberal viewers are tired of the network's constant anti-Trump coverage.

Since the election, "The Rachel Maddow Show" has lost 41% of its viewers, with a 50% drop among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54.