MSNBC Plans Its Own ‘BravoCon’ With ‘MSNBC Live’ Event in September

MSNBC’s Rachel MaddowAlex Wagner and Chris Hayes look nothing like the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Potomac or Salt Lake City who have held forth for years on sister cable outlet Bravo. Come September, there might be some similarities.

MSNBC plans to hold an immersive day-long event for die-hard fans of the progressive-tinged news-and-discussion outlet, one that will put more than a dozen of its hosts and anchors in front of hundreds of attendees at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Participants will be able to hear from Jen Psaki, Joy Reid, Katy Tur and Ari Melber, among others. Approximately 230 will be able to attend a special dinner and reception, and there are plans to give attendees a preview of an upcoming MSNBC film.

The event, titled “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024” and slated to take place September 7, has all the trappings of another gathering held under the auspices of parent company NBCUniversal. BravoCon is a weekend confab hat started in 2019 and that features panels with that network’s reality stars and opportunities to buy related merchandise. The extravaganza became so noteworthy that NBCU began to tout it during its presentations to advertisers in the industry’s annual “upfront” selling season.

“Our colleagues at Bravo have created a really magical experience for their audience, and we have learned a lot and been inspired by what they have created,” says Rebecca KutlerMSNBC’s senior vice president of content strategy, during an interview.

MSNBC launches its Brooklyn fan-fest as cable-news networks grapple more intensely with massive changes in their business. As more viewers move to streaming and seek their news and headlines from digital venues, the three outlets need to test other methods of securing interest.

All three major cable news outlets — MSNBC, Fox News and CNN — are expected to shed subscribers and affiliate revenue in 2024, according to projections from Kagan, a market-research firm that is part of S&P Global Intelligence. MSNBC’s subscriber base is seen eroding by nearly 6% this year, to 64.5 million, compared with 68.5 million in 2023. Affiliate revenue is predicted to fall by nearly 4% in 2024, to $295.1 million, compared with $307 million last year. One bright spot: In an election year, all three are expected to see hikes in sales from advertising.

Live events represent a new way of connecting with MSNBC’s aficionados, says Kutler. “Our audience has told us time and again they are looking for more ways to engage. They want to create a community that goes beyond what they are watching on television.” Ticket prices begin at $119. MSNBC expects to host several thousand attendees over two sessions set to take place.

Others have experimented with similar concepts. CNN mounted a series of live “Citizen” events in recent years that convened newsmakers and CNN anchors to discuss major issues of the day. Among those who took part were Jimmy Kimmel, Dr. Anthony Fauci and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Fox News Channel has organized its “Patriot Awards” for the past few years; the event has even included a meet-and-greet and a whiskey tasing.

In MSNBC’s case, the network appears to be placing more emphasis on its most fervent fans, rather than trying to convert the uninitiated. “In the midst of a critical and unprecedented election year, there’s never been a better time to further deepen that connection with the MSNBC audience to help them understand more of what is happening here in the U.S. and across the globe,” says Rashida Jones, president of MSNBC, in a memo sent to staffers Monday.

The network has in recent years worked to create a broader array of products, including streaming-only programs for Peacock; podcasts from Hayes, Maddow and Steve Kornacki;  and even a live conversation held between Maddow and Joy Reid at the Apollo Theater. MSNBC recently named Luke Russert, a former NBC News journalist and the son of longtime “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert, to serve as a creative director of its “MSNBC Live” series. Lauren Peikoff, a news producer who previously worked with Stephanie Ruhle, was last year named executive producer of events.

Fervent MSNBC viewers “trust their hosts and want to learn from them,” says Kutler, adding: “We are going to continue to find ways to meet our audiences live and in person.”