CNN Could Pay Joe Scarborough $20 Million Per Year To Make Switch From MSNBC: Report
CNN President Chris Licht is reportedly working back channels to poach Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough away from MSNBC.
A RadarOnline report says that CNN could pay Scarborough a salary of $20 million a year if he can get out of his MSNBC contract. CNN also has an interest in Mika Brzezinski, Scarborough's wife and co-host, the outlet writes.
Note: Licht formerly executive produced Morning Joe.
Scarborough, a former Republican representative, now brands himself as an "independent." But no one believes him. For those who don't watch Morning Joe, Scarborough plays the elitist liberal, distinguished from the "woke" division at the network.
He goes to the house parties and hangs out with Democratic politicians. And he really -- I mean, really -- hates Donald Trump.
However, it works for him. He fronts a morning show with lucrative ad rates and strong viewership. Scarborough is the second-biggest star at MSNBC behind Rachel Maddow.
In theory, Scarborough's longtime viewers would follow him from MSNBC to CNN. At least that's what Licht envisions, should a deal materialize.
There's a precedent for this. Sports fans will remember when FS1 signed Skip Bayless away from ESPN in 2016. FS1 positioned Bayless to compete head to head with ESPN in his former time slot. While Bayless' Undisputed never matched First Take in the ratings, it put FS1 on the map in the mornings, and Bayless' absence sunk First Take's ratings by 30 percent.
Scarborough jumping ship would have a greater impact than when Bayless did it. It'd hurt MSNBC and elevate CNN. And the latter network is desperate for a presence in the morning,
CNN has long struggled to keep pace with MSNBC in the early hours. New Day has never had the impact in Washington that Morning Joe has. And the latest iteration of New Day, with angry morning lady Brianna Keilar, is the worst version yet.
Here's a ratings comparison from Tuesday
The RadarOnline report says Licht would also consider positioning Scarborough as a primetime host. CNN plans to fill the 9 pm time slot, Chris Cuomo's former spot, by the fall.
Primetime Joe?
What's unclear is if Scarborough has the leverage to force his way out of MSNBC. For the reasons we listed, MSNBC would not want to lose him to a direct competitor.
The New York Post says neither network responded to a follow-up report about CNN's interest in Scarborough.
CNN would likely also have to include extensive vacation time to secure Scarborough. He is notorious for not wanting to work during the summer months. He is not a fan of Fridays either.
As for a potential salary, $20 million would put Scarborough in the upper echelon of cable news. For comparison, MSNBC pays Maddow $30 million a year, the highest reported salary in cable news.
$20 Million Joe for a show title?