Chris Matthews Revives ‘Hardball’ on Substack

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Hardball is back.

Chris Matthews, a previous host on MSNBC, is reviving his cable news program that provided political insights over three different networks for approximately 26 years, from 1994 to 2020.

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Chris Matthews, who was once the anchor on MSNBC, plans to resurrect his long-running cable news show that covered the world of politics across three networks for around 26 years (from 1994 to 2020).

Originally airing on the now-extinct America’s Talking network, I found myself moving forward to CNBC, and eventually settling in as a regular feature during the primetime schedule on MSNBC. It’s been quite the journey!

Currently, he has announced that he’s bringing back his show on Substack. He hinted that fresh installments will air every Monday at midday, and emphasized that the pace of the content will be quicker this time around.

Matthews mentioned that for approximately two decades he’s been posing challenging questions and received some unexpected responses. Now, he’s ready to continue this approach on Substack, a platform that allows him to inquire further and share his findings with you.

Over the past few months, I’ve found myself drawn to Substack’s emphasis on video-centric creators on its platform. It seems like an increasing number of TV news veterans are jumping at the opportunity to start their own shows. In fact, Substack recently announced that they now boast over five million paid subscriptions!

2021 has seen an unprecedented surge at the beginning of the year due to political unrest, causing many individuals to seek clarity on current events. This surge is fueled by a mix of anti-Trump and pro-Trump opinions, which propels people to search for fresh perspectives. Moreover, traditional media institutions are experiencing a decline in performance, leading to a shakeup within these organizations. Notably, journalists like Jim Acosta (CNN), Joy Reid (MSNBC), Jen Rubin (The Washington Post), and Paul Krugman (The New York Times) have left their respective posts. This mass exodus has expedited growth that was already occurring, potentially bringing the 5 million subscriber milestone earlier than initially expected. – Hamish McKenzie, Substack co-founder.

Previously MSNBC hosts Mehdi Hasan and Reid, former CNN anchor Acosta, and several others have recently debuted on the platform, with Matthews seemingly preparing to follow suit. Notably, these individuals launched their Substacks soon after leaving traditional TV broadcasting, whereas Matthews has been absent from the scene for quite some time.

Matthews parted ways with “Hardball” and MSNBC in March 2020, following some criticism regarding the manner in which he interacted with certain guests and colleagues, a matter he acknowledged during his departure.

After discussing with MSNBC, I’ve made the decision that tonight will mark my final episode of “Hardball.” Here’s why: The younger generation is eager to lead, and they’re already making their mark in politics, media, activism, and beyond. They are pushing for higher standards than we ever knew growing up – fair ones. It has become clear that compliments on a woman’s appearance, which some men, including myself, may have thought were acceptable in the past, were never appropriate. Not then, not now. For any such comments I made in the past, I apologize sincerely.

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2025-04-17 19:54