As was the case in the evenings, ABC and NBC split the Q1 2019 ratings race in the mornings.
For Good Morning America, Q1 2019 marked 25 out of the last 27 quarters that GMA has finished No. 1 in the mornings among total viewers. The exceptions have been quarters when Today got a boost from the Rio Olympics (Q3 2016) and in Q1 2018, and when the show got a lift from the Pyeyongchang Olympics.
In Q1 2019, GMA was -3 percent in total viewers, and -10 percent among adults 25-54 vs. what it delivered in Q1 2018.
NBC’s Today was the No. 1 morning show for Q1 2019 among adults 25-54, topping GMA and CBS This Morning for the 14th consecutive quarter. In total viewers, Today and GMA were separated by only 1 percent for the quarter.
On the downside, the program was -5 percent in total viewers, and -10 percent in A25-54 viewers vs. Q1 of last year, a quarter driven by NBC’s coverage of the Pyeyongchang Winter Olympics.
CBS This Morning finished No. 3 across the board, and was -8 percent in total viewers and -11 percent among adults 25-54 vs. Q1 of last year.
The Nielsen numbers for Q1 2019:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 4,155,000 | 4,092,000 | 3,234,000 |
| • Adults 25-54: | 1,250,000 | 1,420,000 | 865,000 |
For the week of March 25, GMA was the most-watched morning news show, per usual. However, the program was -5 percent in total viewers, and -13 percent among adults 25-54 vs. the comparable week in 2018.
GMA is the No. 1 morning newscast in total viewers for the 7th consecutive year after finishing as the No. 1 morning newscast for the last 6 seasons.
For the week of March 25, Today won the A25-54 demo, marking 170 consecutive weeks at the top of the heap in the ad-friendly category. Today also won in total viewers last Wednesday and Thursday.
The NBC morning show was +1 percent in total viewers, year-over-year. It’s rare to see year-over-year audience growth for any of the morning shows. The not-as-great news is that it was -3 percent in A25-54 viewers.
CBS This Morning was -7 percent in total viewers and -16 percent among adults 25-54 vs. the comparable week in 2018.
The Nielsen numbers for the week of Mar. 25, 2019:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 3,862,000 | 3,827,000 | 3,074,000 |
| • Adults 25-54: | 1,133,000 | 1,296,000 | 794,000 |