Did Hoda Kotb leave today after being asked to take a $20 million pay cut?

Hoda Kotb sent shockwaves through Today show to viewers after deciding to stop after five years of broadcasting.

While Kotb, 60, has publicly cited his family as the reason for his departure, a Puck A report published on Friday (September 27) suggests that financial factors may have contributed to his departure.

The outlet reported that a source with direct knowledge of his salary said Kotb was making more than $20 million in his role, and NBC offered a pay cut.

“This is the era of the great reset in TV news contracts,” one media executive said. Puck. “Everyone sees their salary reduced or their job eliminated. »

According to the outlet, NBC executives struggled to justify the salary given the decline of the television industry, despite the co-anchor’s value to the network. (Today attracts an average of 2.8 million viewers compared to 5 million ten years ago.)

Us every week contacted Kotb’s representative for comment.

Live on air, Kotb announced that she was leaving the Today show on Thursday September 26.

“I realized it was time for me to move on at 60 and try something new. It’s the right time for me to move on,” she revealed through tears.

She said her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 4, were behind her decision to move away.

At the same time, a letter written by Kotb was shared on Today website.

“As I write this, my heart is everywhere,” Kotb wrote. “I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful decision. And you are all the reason. They say two things can be good at the same time, and I feel that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.

In the statement, Kotb revealed that leaving the show was something she had considered for some time and reflected on her career before looking to the future.

“I’ve been thinking about this decision for a while: am I really ready?” she said. “But celebrating my 60th birthday on the Plaza felt like a change. Like a massive and joyful YES, you are! I saw everything very clearly: my career in broadcasting has been more than significant, a new decade of my life awaits me, and now my daughters and my mother need and deserve a greater share of my time. I’m going to miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.

Kotb had worked for NBC for nearly three decades. She joined Today in 2007 and became co-anchor of the morning show alongside Savannah Guthrie in 2018. Guthrie remains in this position.

While Kotb’s announcement shocked Today viewers, its release wasn’t as surprising to some in the industry.

“It’s such a hard job in your life,” an NBC insider exclusively told. Us every week on Thursday September 26. “I think the average person understands that morning television is not glamorous.”

The insider added: “This industry is not for the faint of heart. »

The source noted that although my colleagues Today NBC anchors and executives were aware of Kotb’s decision to leave the show, others were unaware of the information.