MS NOW is expanding its partnership with Crooked Media, bringing Jon Lovett’s political comedy show “Lovett or Leave It” to its Saturday night lineup ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The show will begin airing Saturday, Sept. 12, at 11 p.m. ET, following “Crooked on MS NOW,” as part of a special limited series leading up to the midterms, the network announced Thursday.
Hosted by former President Barack Obama speechwriter and “Pod Save America” co-host Jon Lovett, “Lovett or Leave It” mixes political commentary, comedy and interviews. The show, which launched in 2017, tapes twice weekly in front of a live audience in Hollywood and has generated more than 200 million listens and views across YouTube and podcast platforms.
The addition deepens a relationship that began earlier this year when MS NOW and Crooked Media struck a deal to bring Crooked’s podcast content to television. “Crooked on MS NOW,” which launched in February, features highlights from shows including “Pod Save America,” “Pod Save the World” and “Runaway Country.”
The partnership was initially limited to repurposing Crooked content on MS NOW, but executives from both companies told TheWrap earlier this year that the arrangement could offer a model for bringing established digital media voices and their audiences to linear television.
MS NOW said the strategy has helped bring new viewers to its Saturday night lineup. Half of “Crooked on MS NOW” viewers are new to MS NOW on Saturday nights, while nearly two-thirds of its viewers under 55 are also new to the network, according to the company.
The latest expansion also follows MS NOW’s overhaul of its weekend programming this summer. The network moved away from live, hosted programming after 6 p.m. on weekends in favor of taped video podcasts and outside content partnerships, including its deal with Crooked Media.
Crooked Media’s podcast lineup generates more than 30 million monthly downloads, per internal metrics, with flagship “Pod Save America” reaching more than 1 million fans per episode.
Recent “Lovett or Leave It” guests have included Jane Fonda, Kara Swisher, Sarah Silverman, Nick Offerman and John Leguizamo. The show has also toured nationally, including a stop at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
