Megyn Kelly is officially done at NBC, and she is leaving with the rest of her $69 million contract payday. NBC announced that it has formally finalized the terms for her to go, saying in a statement:
The parties have resolved their differences, and Megyn Kelly is no longer an employee of NBC
So, why does Megyn Kelly get $69 million?
That was the amount Megyn Kelly was estimated to have received for the course of her three-year contract with the network. That amount was set to be distributed to her annually throughout her three-year deal. Meaning Kelly should have banked an estimated $23 million per year.
As of the agreement having been settled, Megyn Kelly will receive an up to $30 million payout, per NBC News. In other words, Megyn Kelly was paid her entire deal without completing her original run.
It had previously been reported that Megyn Kelly would walk away with the full amount of her original contract, roughly two months ago. It something that is only now coming to fruition.
NBC cancelled Megyn Kelly Today in October 2018. The daytime talk show was cancelled in the aftermath of Kelly's controversial comments about the use of blackface for Halloween costumes. The network put an end to the show three days later.
While that occurred months ago, Megyn Kelly's official exit from the network had remained in protracted negotiations. That has now come to an end with the resolution of her contract. The news marks the end of Kelly's shorter than scheduled run on the network.
Megyn Kelly joined NBC in early 2017, following her exit from Fox News. Putting the date of her official departure from the network almost two years after she boarded NBC. So she had roughly a year left on her contract, which she will be paid the remainder of as part of her exit deal.
The news is the culmination of Megyn Kelly's abbreviated run on the network. Her daytime talk show debuted in September 2017, the same year she joined NBC. Ratings issues followed, as did high-profile incidents with guests.
Debra Messing expressed regret about going on Megyn Kelly Today. Then, there was the Jane Fonda interview. Nearly a year ago, Kelly expressed her optimism about how her morning show had done so far. As for NBC's Today, the third hour of the morning show has charted a new course following Kelly's exit.
Since the end of Megyn Kelly Today, the third hour of Today has seen a 10 percent boost in the key ratings demo. Just a few days ago, Today announced the hosts who would be taking over the third hour of The Today Show. The hosting panel will include Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin.
The Today Show airs weekdays starting at 7 a.m. ET on NBC. It is among the content airing now in the midseason.
