Per usual, ABC’s Good Morning America finished the week No. 1 in total audience, and 
NBC’s Today maintained the top spot among adults 25-54.
But what was different about the week was CBS This Morning’s ratings performance. The show was able to post year-over-year audience growth.
Today remained No. 1 in the news demo this past week, and has now won the category for 86 straight weeks, and 102 of the past 103. The 3.83 million total viewer average represents the show’s best audience delivery in 8 weeks. Today broadcasted from Brazil during the comparable week last year due to the 2016 NBC Rio Olympics, and this most certainly explains the larger-than-usual year-over-year audience decline.
GMA delivered its largest total audience in 8 weeks and its best demo performance in almost 3 months. The program remains No. 1 in total viewers for the 5th straight year and is increasing its lead versus last season by +29 percent.
On the downside, even without an Olympics to contend with, GMA was -3 percent in total viewers and -4 percent in the news demo from last year.
CBS This Morning seemed to benefit the most from not having to go up against Today and its Olympics coverage this year. CTM posted a +2 percent increase in total audience from last year, but was -5 percent in the news demo. It will be interesting next week if the show can once again post a year-over-year audience increase.
The numbers for the week of August 14, 2017:
- Total Viewers: ABC: 3.987 M / NBC: 3.827 M / CBS: 3.273 M
- A25-54 viewers: NBC: 1.360 M / ABC: 1.304 M / CBS: 849 k