Lauer joined NBC in 1992, when he became co-anchor of the early weekday news show Today in New York on the network's New York flagship station WNBC.
After a year, he also filled the role of Live at Five co-anchor with Sue Simmons, eventually taking the role permanently and giving up the morning shift by 1994; he was replaced on Today in New York by Maurice DuBois.
Lauer remained on Live at Five until 1996.

Lauer's on-camera presence would soon provide him many opportunities with NBC News.
Lauer filled in as the newsreader on The Today Show for Margaret Larson when needed from 1992 to 1993.
This "audition" period allowed him to join The Today Show full-time in January 1994 as news anchor, while still co-anchoring Today in New York and Live at Five.

Lauer stepped in for Scott Simon, Mike Schneider, Jack Ford, David Bloom and Lester Holt as the co-host of Weekend Today, and for Ann Curry as anchor of the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1992 to 1997.
He had also filled in for Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News.
As the Today Show news anchor, he also substituted for Bryant Gumbel on the Today Show before being named the official co-anchor on January 6, 1997, after Gumbel stepped down.
On top of Lauer's duties on The Today Show, he also hosted programming on Discovery Channel and MSNBC.

From 1998 until 2009, Lauer embarked on what was generally an annual five-day, globe-spanning adventure called Where in the World is Matt Lauer?
on the Today Show during TV sweeps.
The segment was named after the PBS game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
from which it borrowed the theme song.
This segment sent Lauer to various locations around the world, from where he reported on the importance of each location.
He broadcast from locations including Bhutan, Easter Island, the Panama Canal, Iran, Hong Kong, Croatia, and the Great Wall of China.
In 2009, NBC News announced the segment would no longer air in consideration of the stagnant, unstable U.S. economy.

On some occasions, Lauer has conducted interviews that escalated into tense exchanges.
During a June 2005 interview with Tom Cruise, Lauer argued with Cruise about psychiatry and postpartum depression, and Cruise called Lauer "glib".
In December 2008 (more than three years later), Cruise said that he regretted the exchange and arm-wrestled Matt Lauer in the same studio where the confrontation took place.

On June 19, 2007, he interviewed Prince William and Prince Harry.

Between 1998 and 2017, he co-hosted NBC's live coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lauer co-hosted the opening ceremonies of several Olympic Games, carrying on what his former co-host Katie Couric had done since the 2000 Summer Olympics.
He co-hosted the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
His commentary on the 2012 opening ceremonies, along with that of co-hosts Meredith Vieira and Bob Costas, came under fierce criticism, being described as "ignorant" and "banal".

On the April 5, 2012, program, Lauer announced that he had signed a new contract with NBC News through 2017.
An estimate by Forbes indicated that the contract paid Lauer $25 million a year.

It has been widely reported that Lauer had influenced co-anchor Ann Curry’s departure from The Today Show, executed by its executive producer Jim Bell under the name called "Operation Bambi".

During the 2014 Winter Olympics, prime-time host Bob Costas suffered a major eye infection over the first five days of prime-time coverage.
As a result, Lauer replaced him for the sixth day of coverage, and hosted from February 11 until February 14.

In November 2015, Lauer hosted an interview with Charlie Sheen, during which Sheen revealed that he was HIV-positive.

On September 8, 2016, Lauer conducted separate 30-minute interviews with presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
The New York Times reported that the reaction to Lauer's performance was "not kind".
Lauer devoted much of the Clinton interview to questions about her
Lauer joined NBC in 1992, when he became co-anchor of the early weekday news show Today in New York on the network's New York flagship station WNBC. After a year, he also filled the role of Live at Five co-anchor with Sue Simmons, eventually taking the role permanently and giving up the morning shift by 1994; he was replaced on Today in New York by Maurice DuBois. Lauer remained on Live at Five until 1996.
Lauer's on-camera presence would soon provide him many opportunities with NBC News. Lauer filled in as the newsreader on The Today Show for Margaret Larson when needed from 1992 to 1993. This "audition" period allowed him to join The Today Show full-time in January 1994 as news anchor, while still co-anchoring Today in New York and Live at Five.
Lauer stepped in for Scott Simon, Mike Schneider, Jack Ford, David Bloom and Lester Holt as the co-host of Weekend Today, and for Ann Curry as anchor of the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1992 to 1997. He had also filled in for Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News. As the Today Show news anchor, he also substituted for Bryant Gumbel on the Today Show before being named the official co-anchor on January 6, 1997, after Gumbel stepped down. On top of Lauer's duties on The Today Show, he also hosted programming on Discovery Channel and MSNBC.
From 1998 until 2009, Lauer embarked on what was generally an annual five-day, globe-spanning adventure called Where in the World is Matt Lauer? on the Today Show during TV sweeps. The segment was named after the PBS game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? from which it borrowed the theme song. This segment sent Lauer to various locations around the world, from where he reported on the importance of each location. He broadcast from locations including Bhutan, Easter Island, the Panama Canal, Iran, Hong Kong, Croatia, and the Great Wall of China. In 2009, NBC News announced the segment would no longer air in consideration of the stagnant, unstable U.S. economy.
On some occasions, Lauer has conducted interviews that escalated into tense exchanges. During a June 2005 interview with Tom Cruise, Lauer argued with Cruise about psychiatry and postpartum depression, and Cruise called Lauer "glib". In December 2008 (more than three years later), Cruise said that he regretted the exchange and arm-wrestled Matt Lauer in the same studio where the confrontation took place.
On June 19, 2007, he interviewed Prince William and Prince Harry.
Between 1998 and 2017, he co-hosted NBC's live coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Lauer co-hosted the opening ceremonies of several Olympic Games, carrying on what his former co-host Katie Couric had done since the 2000 Summer Olympics. He co-hosted the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics. His commentary on the 2012 opening ceremonies, along with that of co-hosts Meredith Vieira and Bob Costas, came under fierce criticism, being described as "ignorant" and "banal".
On the April 5, 2012, program, Lauer announced that he had signed a new contract with NBC News through 2017. An estimate by Forbes indicated that the contract paid Lauer $25 million a year.
It has been widely reported that Lauer had influenced co-anchor Ann Curry’s departure from The Today Show, executed by its executive producer Jim Bell under the name called "Operation Bambi".
During the 2014 Winter Olympics, prime-time host Bob Costas suffered a major eye infection over the first five days of prime-time coverage. As a result, Lauer replaced him for the sixth day of coverage, and hosted from February 11 until February 14.
In November 2015, Lauer hosted an interview with Charlie Sheen, during which Sheen revealed that he was HIV-positive.
On September 8, 2016, Lauer conducted separate 30-minute interviews with presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The New York Times reported that the reaction to Lauer's performance was "not kind". Lauer devoted much of the Clinton interview to questions about her
Matt Lauer