The Today Show is one of the most-watched morning programs in the country, and getting a segment is a career-level credibility moment. It’s also one of the hardest bookings in media. The competition for airtime is intense, the producer inbox is overflowing, and the bar for what’s “Today Show worthy” is high.

But people land Today Show segments every day. Not all of them are celebrities. Many are working experts, authors, founders, and practitioners who pitched the right story at the right time. This post covers the actual process.

What the Today Show books

Understanding the show’s format tells you where you might fit.

News segments

Hard news coverage of the day’s top stories. These are handled by the show’s anchors and correspondents. Outside experts get booked as commentators when the story requires subject matter expertise.

Segments on health, fitness, food, parenting, technology, personal finance, and consumer trends. This is where most outside experts appear. The topics are tied to current trends, seasonal hooks, or new research.

Author and book segments

Authors promoting new books get segments, but competition is fierce. A recognizable name, a timely topic, and a strong visual demonstration increase the odds.

Consumer segments

Product recommendations, deals, and consumer advice. These segments have dedicated producers and a specific format.

Human interest

Compelling personal stories with emotional resonance. These are producer-driven and harder to pitch from the outside.

Who decides

Segment producers make the booking decisions. Each segment area has its own producers. The executive producer oversees the full show, but segment producers control their blocks.

Finding the right segment producer is the most important step. Pitching the wrong person wastes both your time and theirs.

How to find producers

The pitch

Today Show pitches are short, visual, and tied to the news cycle.

The format

Subject line: tight, timely, specific.

Body: 4-6 sentences maximum.

  1. The hook: what’s happening in the world that makes this relevant right now
  2. The angle: your specific take or contribution
  3. The visual: what this looks like on TV (a demo, a before/after, a chart, a taste test)
  4. Your credential: one sentence on why you’re the right person
  5. The ask: availability and logistics

Example

Subject: Pediatrician available: New AAP screen time study drops tomorrow

Hi [name], the AAP is releasing new screen time guidelines for kids under 5 tomorrow morning and they’re different from what most parents expect. I’m a pediatrician at [hospital] who’s treated screen time issues for 12 years and I can break down what parents should actually do differently. I can bring a simple visual comparison of the old vs new guidelines that works well on-screen. I’m in NYC and available early morning. Want to talk today?

Short, timely, visual, credentialed.

What makes it Today Show-worthy

The bar is higher than local TV. Your pitch needs:

Building toward a Today Show booking

Most people who land the Today Show didn’t start there. The path usually looks like:

Step 1: local TV

Book segments on local morning shows in your market. Build your reel. Learn how to perform on camera.

Step 2: regional and smaller national shows

Graduate to regional affiliates, cable news segments, and smaller national shows. Each appearance builds your reel and your booking history.

Step 3: build relationships with producers

Producers move between shows. A producer you worked with at a local station might move to a national show. Relationships compound over years.

Step 4: pitch the Today Show with a reel and a timely hook

When you pitch, include a link to your best TV clip. Producers want to see that you can perform before they book you for millions of viewers.

The logistics

Pre-interview

If a producer is interested, they’ll schedule a pre-interview call. This is a screen test over the phone. They’re checking:

Treat the pre-interview as seriously as the segment itself. Many bookings die in the pre-interview because the expert rambles or can’t distill their expertise into TV-sized answers.

Day-of preparation

If booked for an in-studio segment:

For remote segments:

On-air performance

The segment will be shorter than you expect. 3-4 minutes is typical. 5 minutes is long. You have time for your three points and maybe a follow-up question. Every second counts.

Speak in complete, self-contained sentences. The editor may pull any 10-second clip for promos or social. Make each sentence standalone.

Show energy. Smile. Look at the host (in-studio) or the camera (remote). Don’t look at yourself on the monitor.

After the segment

Get the clip

The Today Show posts clips online. Download yours. If it’s not posted, ask the producer.

Amplify

Share the clip on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and your website. “As seen on the Today Show” is one of the strongest credibility signals available.

Thank the producer

Short, genuine thank-you email. Don’t pitch your next segment in the same email. Let the relationship breathe.

Stay available

Tell the producer you’re available for future segments on your topic. Producers maintain a roster of reliable guests and call them back when their topic cycles into the news again.

Common mistakes

Pitching without timeliness

“I’d love to come talk about parenting” isn’t a Today Show pitch. “AAP just changed its guidelines and here’s what parents need to know” is.

Pitching without visuals

A segment that’s just talking isn’t compelling TV. Think about what the viewer sees, not just what they hear.

Overestimating your readiness

If you haven’t done local TV yet, you’re probably not ready for the Today Show. The pace is faster, the pressure is higher, and the performance standard is stricter.

Pitching too far in advance

Today Show producers work on tight timelines. Pitching a segment for “sometime next quarter” doesn’t work. Pitch for this week or next.

Being unreachable

If a producer calls and you don’t answer, they move to the next person. When you’re actively pitching, keep your phone on and respond to emails within the hour.

The bottom line

Getting on the Today Show starts with building local TV experience, developing a reliable on-camera presence, and pitching a timely, visual, nationally relevant story to the right segment producer. It’s competitive, it takes preparation, and it usually doesn’t happen on the first try. But the credibility of a Today Show segment compounds for years — in your bio, your website, your speaker reel, and increasingly, in the AI products that reference media appearances as authority signals. Do the groundwork, wait for the right moment, and pitch a story that serves the audience.