TV's 9AM Battleground Pits Ripa vs Kelly

Kelly Ripa, Megyn Kelly

On the same day that Ryan Seacrest joined “Live!” on ABC, NBC revealed that the former Fox News Channel star will anchor her own 9 a.m. hour of “Today” — going head-to-head against Seacrest, the most successful, most popular and highest paid television host of all time.

NBC staffers have quietly been speculating that Kelly would take over the timeslot since she joined the network last winter.

But her new show may already be dead on arrival, according to The NY Daily News.

“Kelly (Ripa) and Ryan are going to wipe the floor with Megyn,” an industry source said Monday. “There’s simply no way she can compete with that.”

She is expected to launch her “Today” hour next fall, but will also host a Sunday talk show on NBC starting in June.

First day on the job @NBCNews! On the air in June, but had so much fun meeting new colleagues today. Grateful. Happy. pic.twitter.com/ervrTM3A8I

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 1, 2017

At NBC, Kelly has already ruffled some feathers, drawing a salary estimated to be around $15 million a year, making her one of the highest paid news division personalities at 30 Rock even though she has little network television experience.

Cable news, where Kelly became a star, is a far less competitive beast than broadcast networks like NBC and ABC.