JENNA BUSH HAGER SIGNS FIRST-LOOK DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL STUDIO GROUP
Deal Opens Door for Co-Host of "TODAY with Hoda & Jenna" and Founder of #ReadWithJenna to Develop and Produce Projects Across Multiple Platforms
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - February 14, 2022 - Universal Studio Group today announced Jenna Bush Hager - co-host of "Today with Hoda & Jenna" - has signed a first-look deal with the studio division. Under the terms of the agreement, Hager will develop and produce projects with Universal Content Productions (UCP), Universal Television (UTV), Universal Television Alternative Studio (UTAS) and Universal International Studios (UIS) for a variety of platforms.
Beyond serving as co-host of the affable fourth hour of NBC's historic morning program, Hager is the Founder of #ReadWithJenna, TODAY's critically acclaimed book club. Since its inception in March 2019, 30 of Hager's book club selections have become New York Times bestsellers.
"As an author and avid bibliophile, Jenna is uniquely tapped into the stories that resonate most with people and influence our culture," said Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, Universal Studio Group. "Her literary passion is infectious and we are excited to begin this new partnership."
"I am excited and thrilled with this natural extension of Read with Jenna's mission to highlight debut and diverse authors," said Jenna Bush Hager. "This new partnership will expand these authors' voices to new audiences, and for that, I am grateful."
Hager joined TODAY in August 2009 as a correspondent, and she regularly contributes to TODAY's earlier hours. For her work on TODAY, Hager has received two Daytime Emmy(R) Awards for Outstanding Morning Show in 2020 and 2012. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host in 2020, and a Gracie Award for best on-air talent in 2021. In 2011, she was honored as one of Glamour's Women of the Year.
She is a #1 New York Times bestseller and author of six books including "Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss," a tribute to her grandparents, and "Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope," which she wrote following her time in Latin America with UNICEF. She also co-authored the children's books "Our Great Big Backyard" and "Read All About It!" with her mother, First Lady Laura Bush. She wrote "Sisters First" with her sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, in both adult and children's editions.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL STUDIO GROUP
Universal Studio Group is comprised of Universal Television, UCP, Universal International Studios, Universal Television Alternative Studio and NBCUniversal Formats. Collectively, the four powerhouse studios produce over 3,000 hours of programming currently airing or streaming around the globe, own one of the largest libraries in the world with over 120,000 episodes of television and house some of today's most ambitious storytellers, including Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Michael Schur, Sam Esmail, Seth MacFarlane, Dick Wolf, Lorne Michaels, Debra Martin Chase, Martin Gero, Gareth Neame, Larry Wilmore, Nahnatchka Khan, Sera Gamble, Tony Ayres, David Heyman, Julie Plec, Carol Mendelsohn, Tanya Saracho, Patrick Macmanus and Nick Antosca, among others. NBCUniversal Formats brings a diverse slate of non-scripted and scripted formats to the global market. Additionally, the studio group's podcast platform, USG Audio, produces original podcasts such as "The Lost Kids," "The Followers: House of Prayer" "Alligator Candy," "Art Bust: Scandalous Stories of the Art World," "Do You Know Mordechai," "The Greatness with Kareem Maddox" and "The Followers: Madness of Two," while its graphic novel imprint, USG Graphic, develops and publishes original comic books, including "Proctor Valley Road." Universal Studio Group is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information for a global audience.
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