The cable network formerly known as MSNBC—now rebranded as MS NOW—is reportedly facing internal strain as several of its biggest personalities clash behind the scenes. According to one insider, the network’s makeover has only intensified existing rivalries.
At the center of the tension are Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who are said to be at odds with primetime anchor Rachel Maddow. Maddow was elevated as the network’s signature star during the recent restructuring, a move that reportedly didn’t sit well with everyone.
Entertainment columnist Rob Shuter, who runs the Naughty But Nice Substack, told the Daily Mail that Scarborough and Brzezinski still view themselves as the network’s primary drivers. Maddow, however, commands higher ratings and a significantly larger salary, which allegedly heightens the rivalry.
Far-left MS NOW anchors Chris Hayes (left) and Rachel Maddow (right)
Shuter said that while Morning Joe prides itself on its conversational, coffee-table style format, Maddow’s position as the network’s marquee talent is unmistakable. According to him, Maddow’s team treats her primetime hour as sacred territory, guarded as tightly as any newsroom asset.
He added that the atmosphere inside MS NOW shifts noticeably whenever Morning Joe lands a major story. Maddow’s staff reportedly dislikes having the day’s narrative shaped before their anchor takes the stage, creating an ongoing battle for influence and attention.
The friction extends beyond airtime. Shuter suggested that the network’s ecosystem naturally gravitates toward Maddow, describing her star power as a kind of gravitational force with everyone else in orbit around it.
Despite the rumors, the network denies anything is amiss. An MS NOW spokesperson dismissed all talk of internal conflict as “absurd,” insisting the on-air talent works harmoniously.
Viewership numbers, however, paint contrasting pictures of the hosts’ platforms. Morning Joe, airing weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., averages around 625,000 viewers—a sharp decline from the previous year. The married co-hosts reportedly each earn between eight and ten million dollars annually.
Maddow, meanwhile, appears only once a week on Monday nights at 9 p.m., yet still draws about 1.9 million viewers and commands a reported twenty-five million dollar salary. Her limited schedule hasn’t diminished her influence within the network.
Shuter described the new Times Square studios as competitive, energetic, and charged with creative tension. While there are no dramatic hallway confrontations, he said the rivalry is constant—quiet, simmering, and impossible to ignore. MS NOW, however, continues to dismiss the chatter as nothing more than industry gossip.