Matt Lauer staying on ‘The Today Show’ with new deal

Love him or hate him, you’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of Matt Lauer on “The Today Show” in the many months to come.

According to the New York Post, the host of the NBC morning show has now officially inked a new deal, one that is going to keep him around through at the very least 2018. This deal is also going to be worth $20 million a year, proving further that he’ll be paid rather-handsomely for some of his efforts.

Lauer routinely remains one of television’s most-prolific newcasters, hosting both this show to go along with some special events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or the Olympic Games. He’s someone who the network can put out there for interviews on the fly, and know with confidence that he’ll be able to pull it off.

With all of this being said, Lauer’s presence on the show is not universally lauded, with him continuing to fight off criticism over the Ann Curry situation from several years ago. He’s also been the subject of some criticism here and there, mostly notably as a political moderator. At the same time, who else is NBC going to get for this spot? It’s one of the most difficult jobs in the business, and Lauer has more consistent experience in the venue than just about anyone else out there. The biggest surprise to us is that this is a guy who is still willing to get up this early the vast majority of the year to go and deliver coverage. As someone who’s done a morning show before, we can certainly attest that this is rather difficult.

What’s your reaction to Lauer getting a new deal, or do you really even care who’s hosting the show so long as you are still getting your news? Share right now in the poll below! (Photo: NBC.)