The week of Aug. 13 produced another split decision in the morning show ratings race: ABC was No. 1 in total viewers, while NBC held the top spot among adults 25-54.
But ABC’s margin of victory over NBC in total viewers was razor thin.
Good Morning America averaged nearly 3.782 million total viewers this past week–per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data—which is only 2,000 more than Today show (3.780 million). Season to date, GMA is the most-watched morning show, leading NBC by +77,000 total viewers to take the top spot at this point of the season for the sixth year in a row.
But the ABC morning show was -5 percent in total viewers and -15 percent in A25-54 viewers vs. the comparable week in 2017.
Today show was No. 1 among adults 25-54 for the 138th consecutive week, and defeated its ABC rival across the board on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The NBC morning show remained No. 2 in total viewers, but posted its tightest total viewer margin with GMA since its Olympic wins with just +2,000 viewers separating the shows.
Despite a relatively strong performance, Today was still down year-over-year, both in total viewers (-1 percent) and in the A25-54 demo (-6 percent).
Additionally, per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, Megyn Kelly Today averaged 2.5 million viewers. That’s the show’s largest total audience for a week since mid-February, and is +1 percent vs. comparable week in 2017.
CBS This Morning continues to post year-over-year audience declines. The morning show was -14 percent in total viewers and -17 percent in A25-54 viewers vs. the comparable week last year.
Numbers for the week of Aug. 13, 2018:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 3,782,000 | 3,780,000 | 2,813,000 |
| • A25-54: | 1,111,000 | 1,277,000 | 701,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 8/13/18, and 8/14/17. Season-to-Date: Most Current: 2017-2018 Season (9/25/17 – 8/19/18) and 2016-2017 Season (9/19/16 – 8/20/17). Averages based on regular telecasts.