The broadcast morning shows all posted year-over-year ratings decline in Q1.
It was NBC which won the ratings race across the board. Anchored by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, the NBC morning defeated ABC’s Good Morning America across the board for the second consecutive quarter, its best streak in nearly 6 years, and won the key A25-54 demo for the 10th consecutive quarter.
But the NBC morning show was -1 percent among total viewers and -6 percent among adults 25-54 versus Q1 2017. NBC did not have a Winter Olympics in Q1 2017, nor did it broadcast the Super Bowl in Q1 2017. These two events traditionally gives NBC programming a noticeable ratings lift; but there was no quarter-over-quarter ratings growth this time around.
Good Morning America finished No. 2 in the morning show race in Q1. The program posted the most significant year-over-year total viewer decline (-7 percent), and was also -7 percent in the demo versus last year.
CBS This Morning remained No. 3. The program was -5 percent in total viewers, and fell even more in the demo (-10 percent) versus Q1 of last year.
The averages for Q1 2018:
- Total Viewers: ABC: 4.282 M / NBC: 4.291 M / CBS: 3.512 M
- A25-54 viewers: ABC: 1.382 M / NBC: 1.571 M / CBS: 967 k
Good Morning America was the most-watched morning show for the week of March 26, while Today remained No. 1 among younger news viewers, including the key A25-54 demo.
GMA posted the least-severe year-over-year audience decline, -4 percent in total viewers and -2 percent in the demo. Today, however, was -6 percent in total viewers, and -13 percent in the demo from last year.
Due to Good Friday (March 30), Today was retitled to Today-TS. The telecast is excluded from the weekly averages. Today’s averages are based on 4 days (Mon-Thurs).
CBS This Morning was -9 percent in total viewers and -10 percent in the demo versus the comparable week last year (March 27, 2017).
The averages for the week of March 26:
- Total Viewers: ABC: 4.085 M / NBC: 3.782 M / CBS: 3.306 M
- A25-54 viewers: ABC: 1.301 M / NBC: 1.340 M / CBS: 946 k