The opening week of the 2019 Nielsen calendar year (the week of Dec. 31) brought with it a split decision in the morning show ratings race. ABC Good Morning America held strong at No. 1 in total audience, while NBC’s Today was led the way among younger news audiences, including Adults 25-54.
GMA averaged +148,000 more total viewers than Today this past week, and season to date, the ABC morning show is No. 1 in total viewers, taking the top spot in that category for the 7th consecutive year.
NBC’s Today defeated its ABC and CBS competition in Adults 25-54 for the 158th consecutive week (yes, you read that correctly). The win marks the NBC morning show’s best streak in that measurement in more than six years.
It’s worth noting that ABC’s, CBS’ and NBC’s averages are based on three days (Wed-Fri) due to the New Year’s holiday.
The averages for the week of Dec. 31, 2018:
| Network | ABC | NBC | CBS |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 3,915,000 | 3,767,000 | 3,037,000 |
| • A25-54: | 1,181,000 | 1,299,000 | 758,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 Live + SD, 2017-18 Current Week (w/o 12/31/18), Previous Week (w/o 12/24/18) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 1/1/18). Season to date: Most Current: 2018 -2019 Season (9/24/18 – 1/6/19) and 2017-2018 Season (9/25/18 – 1/7/18). Averages based on regular telecasts.