But once “Today” vet Matt Lauer — who usually helmed special coverage, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — was ousted in November over sexual-misconduct allegations, Kelly assumed she was next in line for the plum assignments.

“She thought she had it all played out perfectly, by saying ‘no’ before the Matt Lauer scandal. [The network was] stupid enough to put in her contract that she could say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

But we’re told that after execs instead gave the gig to Couric — who co-hosted the “Today” show with Lauer from 1997 to 2006, at which point she left the network — Kelly wanted to have it on principle. “[Kelly] complained to her staff, she complained to her agent, so that [NBC News chairman Andrew Lack] would hear about the fact that she was unhappy, but he didn’t care.”