What caused Ann Curry to exit NBC early?

Longtime talk show host, Ann Curry, is opting out of her NBC News contract early.

Curry was a fan favorite at NBC’s Today since she started the hosting gig in 1997. In 2012, she transitioned to a different position with NBC News.

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“I am sincerely grateful to NBC News for allowing me to offer viewers a vast and diverse body of work,” Curry said in a statement, according to the Los Angeles Times. “It has been a privilege to work with so many good and talented people at the network and I look forward to what we will do ahead.”

The past few years haven’t been easy for Curry at the network. After replacing Meredith Vieira as coanchor in June 2011, ratings dipped as it became clear that Curry and fellow coanchor, Matt Lauer, weren’t jiving as a team.

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After a tearful and emotional goodbye, Curry was replaced as coanchor by Savannah Guthrie. The sudden replacement didn’t bode well for Today, NBC or Matt Lauer, who was viewed as the villain by a lot of people upset about Curry’s replacement.

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Morning show competitor, Good Morning America, managed to trump Today in the ratings following Curry’s replacement and it has remained in the top spot since.

Curry, on the other hand, was given her own production unit covering international stories, but it seems like her work — after so long on the show — failed to garner the recognition it once received.

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Curry is expected to leave NBC to become the founder of her own media startup, which is reportedly going to focus on international news like her position at NBC News.

“This is about reaching for the edge of the future in journalism, which we know is undergoing an irrevocable transition,” Curry continued in the statement about her future plans. “I am excited about working to become a valuable link between traditional media and what is to come.”

According to USA Today, the startup will be seeded by NBCUniversal but will allow her to report on any platform and on any network.

Are you surprised to hear Ann Curry is leaving NBC News early?