For more than a quarter century, Hoda Kotb’s laughter, warmth, and unmistakable voice have been the soundtrack to America’s mornings. Millions woke up with her, trusted her to deliver the day’s news, and found comfort in her easy camaraderie with co-hosts and guests alike. But when Kotb stunned viewers by announcing her departure from NBC’s Today show after an astonishing 26-year run, the shockwaves rippled not just through the television industry, but into the hearts of her loyal audience. The official story—one of turning the page at 60, of seeking more time with her beloved daughters—was touching, even noble. But as the confetti settled and the tributes poured in, a new, more complicated narrative began to emerge, one that exposes the brutal realities of network television: the humiliating salary gap, the politics of gender and race, and the final insult that may have pushed one of America’s most beloved anchors out the door for good.
Hoda Kotb’s journey to the top of the Today show was not the product of privilege or luck. She clawed her way up from NBC’s Dateline, where she first joined as a correspondent in 1998, to the fourth hour of Today with Kathie Lee Gifford in 2008, and later with Jenna Bush Hager in 2019. Audiences fell in love with her almost instantly. She was approachable, authentic, and unafraid to be vulnerable—qualities that made her a rare gem in the often cutthroat world of network news. But behind the scenes, Kotb’s rise was riddled with obstacles, the most glaring of which was the network’s persistent undervaluing of her worth.
The real drama began in 2017, when Matt Lauer—the face of Today for decades—was unceremoniously fired after allegations of sexual misconduct exploded into public view. NBC needed a steady hand, a trustworthy presence to steady the ship. Enter Hoda. She was thrust into the spotlight, joining Savannah Guthrie to break the news of Lauer’s ousting to a stunned nation. It was a moment that demanded not just professionalism, but heart—and Hoda delivered in spades.
Viewers cheered when Kotb was officially named as Lauer’s replacement, hailing the move as a long-overdue recognition of her talent and dedication. But the celebrations were quickly tempered by a bitter truth: while Lauer had commanded a staggering $25 million a year, Hoda’s starting salary as co-anchor was a “mere” $7 million—the same as Guthrie’s, but a jaw-dropping $18 million less than her disgraced predecessor. The pay disparity was impossible to ignore, especially given Kotb’s decades of service and the fact that she was now carrying the flagship morning show on her shoulders.
At the time, an NBC insider tried to downplay the wage gap, telling Page Six, “Hoda isn’t complaining about the money. She has landed the big job she always dreamed of, and most definitely deserves. Plus, Matt’s salary reflected the long time he was on the show—25 years. If things go well, Hoda could ask for more next time if she re-ups her contract. But the figures underline the huge wage disparity at NBC News.” For many, it was a classic case of moving the goalposts: when Lauer was on top, his salary was justified by his tenure; when Kotb took over, she was told to be grateful for the opportunity and wait her turn.
Still, Hoda soldiered on, her trademark optimism undimmed in public. She became the heart of Today, deftly navigating breaking news, celebrity interviews, and the unpredictable chaos of live television. She shared her personal life with viewers—her late-in-life journey to motherhood, her battles with cancer, her joys and heartbreaks. Every morning, she brought light into American homes, even as she quietly carried the burden of being paid a fraction of what her predecessor had earned.
But as the years rolled on, the conversation around pay equity in media grew louder. The #MeToo movement forced networks to confront their own failings, and women across the industry began demanding what they were owed. For Kotb, the hope was that her value would finally be recognized—not just in applause and ratings, but in dollars and cents. And for a while, it seemed things were moving in the right direction. Reports indicate that Hoda’s salary eventually climbed above $20 million, a testament both to her star power and her negotiating skills.
Yet, as is so often the case in television, the winds shifted. The once-mighty Today show, which a decade ago boasted more than 4.6 million daily viewers, saw its audience shrink to just over 2.5 million this year. The entire morning news landscape was in decline, battered by changing viewer habits, streaming competition, and the relentless march of time. NBC executives, faced with plummeting ratings and tightening budgets, began to see the show’s stratospheric contracts as relics of a bygone era.
According to Puck News, the network “made clear to her agents that such stratospheric contracts were no longer justifiable given the industry’s inexorable decline.” The implication was unmistakable: if Kotb wanted to stay, she’d have to accept a pay cut. For a woman who had spent years fighting for parity, who had finally clawed her way to the top of the salary ladder, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
And so, as 2024 drew to a close, Hoda Kotb faced an impossible choice. She could accept the network’s terms—take the cut, smile for the cameras, and quietly fade into the background—or she could walk away on her own terms, with her dignity (and her legacy) intact. In the end, she chose the latter.
Last week, with her trademark grace and candor, Kotb announced her departure on air, surrounded by the colleagues who had become her second family. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “I remembered standing outside looking at these beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the top of the wave feels like for me.’ And I thought it can’t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”
She spoke movingly about her daughters, Haley and Hope, and the desire to be present for them in a way her demanding career had never truly allowed. “Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have,” she said. “I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world. It’s kind of a big deal for me. I’ve been practicing so I wouldn’t cry, but anyway, I did.”
For viewers, the moment was bittersweet—a reminder of all the mornings Hoda had brightened, all the stories she had helped tell, all the lives she had touched. But for those who have followed her career closely, her exit was also an indictment of an industry that still struggles to value women, and women of color, at the same level as their white, male counterparts.
Kotb’s story is hardly unique. Across the media landscape, women are still fighting for equal pay, still being asked to do more for less, still being told to wait their turn. The difference is that Kotb had the courage—and the clout—to walk away. She leaves behind a legacy not just of journalistic excellence, but of quiet, persistent resistance against a system that too often takes its brightest stars for granted.
As she steps into the next chapter of her life, Hoda Kotb carries with her the love and admiration of millions. She is free now to chart her own course, to spend her mornings with her daughters, to pursue new passions and projects. And if the rumors are true—if her post-Today earnings are set to eclipse even her highest NBC salary—then perhaps there is some justice in the world after all.
But the real story here is not just about one woman’s paycheck. It’s about the invisible toll of being undervalued, the quiet humiliation of knowing you are worth more, and the bittersweet triumph of finally saying, “enough.” Hoda Kotb’s salary history is a microcosm of the battles women are still fighting in every workplace, in every industry. Her decision to leave, on her own terms, is both an ending and a beginning—a reminder that sometimes, the only way to win is to walk away.
And so, as the cameras fade to black and the credits roll on Hoda’s extraordinary tenure at Today, one truth remains: you can take the anchor out of the studio, but you can never take away her power. Hoda Kotb may have left NBC behind, but she has claimed something far more valuable: her voice, her worth, and the freedom to write her own story—one that, at last, pays her what she’s truly owed.
