Overview and Core Context
Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer are both former NBC News on-air personalities who worked at the network during partially overlapping years. Their names are often linked because they were high-profile colleagues in NBC News’s daytime and morning programming, and because Lauer’s departure from NBC News in 2017 preceded Guthrie’s increased prominence as co-anchor of Today. This explainer focuses on their professional timelines, roles, and verifiable public context without speculation or unverified personal narrative.
Matt Lauer: Role and Tenure at NBC News
Matt Lauer was a prominent NBC News anchor and correspondent, best known for his long tenure on the Today show. He joined Today in 1994 as a news anchor and became a co-anchor in 1997. His role placed him in the center of daytime broadcast journalism for more than two decades. In 2017, NBC News ended Lauer’s employment following internal reviews and complaints regarding his conduct, issuing a statement that cited a violation of company policy. The departure was widely reported and marked the end of his regular on-air presence at the network.
Key dates and milestones
| Date or Period | Event | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Began at Today as a news anchor | Marked his first major regular national broadcast role |
| 1997 | Became co-anchor of Today | Established him as a top daytime news personality |
| November 2017 | NBC News ended his employment | Ended his on-air tenure amid reported policy violations |
Savannah Guthrie: Role and Tenure at NBC News
Savannah Guthrie is a journalist and attorney who joined NBC News in 2011. She served as a national correspondent and anchor for Today before becoming a co-anchor of Today in 2012, a role she continued for many years after Lauer’s departure. Her background in law and journalism shaped her reporting focus and on-air presence. Guthrie has remained a visible figure in broadcast news beyond Today through legal analysis and special reporting projects.
Key dates and milestones
| Date or Period | Event | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Joined NBC News as national correspondent | Entry into network news role that led to Today |
| 2012 | Became co-anchor of Today | Established her as a long-term morning anchor |
| 2017 onward | Continued as Today co-anchor after Lauer’s exit | Shift in Today anchor lineup and increased visibility |
Documented Professional Overlap
Guthrie and Lauer were both on the Today show starting in 2012 and continued as colleagues through early 2017. During this period they shared the anchor desk and worked within the same organizational structure at NBC News. Their collaboration represents a common arrangement in broadcast news where multiple anchors share responsibilities across morning programming. After Lauer’s departure in late 2017, Guthrie’s role on Today continued without him, and she later worked alongside other co-anchors in subsequent years.
Public Statements and Organizational Actions
NBC News issued a public statement in November 2017 explaining Lauer’s departure, stating it was the result of a review that found he had violated company policy. The network did not detail the specific complaints in that initial public communication, noting that they were consistent with a zero-tolerance policy. Following Lauer’s exit, Guthrie and other anchors continued Today with adjusted anchor responsibilities. There have been no joint public statements from Guthrie and Lauer about their working relationship, and Guthrie has not discussed specific internal matters related to his departure in public forums.
Context and Common Questions
- Were Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer married or in a personal relationship? Public records and reputable reporting do not indicate a personal relationship outside of their professional roles at NBC News.
- Did they work together at NBC News? Yes, they were colleagues at NBC News and appeared together as anchors on Today from 2012 to early 2017.
- What happened to Matt Lauer? NBC News ended his employment in November 2017 after an internal review found he had violated company policy.
- What happened after Lauer left Today? Savannah Guthrie continued as a co-anchor of Today, and the show continued with multiple anchors in the following years.
Summary and Takeaways
Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer were broadcast colleagues at NBC News who shared the Today anchor desk from 2012 until early 2017. Their documented professional relationship centers on overlapping tenure, organizational changes at NBC News, and Lauer’s departure in November 2017. No verified evidence supports claims of a personal relationship beyond their work as news anchors. This explainer emphasizes timelines, roles, and network statements that are publicly available and likely to remain relevant as reference points for understanding their careers and the context of Today anchor transitions.