Scoop: Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski renew "Morning Joe" contracts

"Mika and I are excited to be staying with our 'Morning Joe' family and friends who have been watching regularly for almost 20 years," Scarborough told Axios.

• "We're also grateful for the vote of confidence [MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler and Versant CEO Mark Lazarus] have given us to stay with our 'Morning Joe' team over the next four years."

Zoom out: Now entering its 20th year, "Morning Joe" is one of the most powerful platforms reaching policymakers and Washington insiders.

• President Trump watches, as well as Democratic leaders, media moguls, ambassadors, CEOs, university presidents and other newsmakers.
• The 6 a.m. ET franchise has become a multi-platform behemoth spanning live TV, streaming, a podcast and a newsletter.

Kutler told Axios: "We are about to celebrate 20 years of 'Morning Joe' — Joe and Mika have created something that cannot be replicated. As we build towards the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election, 'Morning Joe' will continue to be a singular destination for presidents and newsmakers from all political parties."

By the numbers: The show's daily newsletter, The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe, has accrued more than 116,000 free email subscribers since launching last October.

• The program is consistently one of the network's largest audience drivers on YouTube. The show's podcast is MS NOW's #1 most-downloaded daily audio program.

Go deeper: MS NOW to launch membership-based subscription product.