Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning all posted viewership growth from the previous week in total viewers and among adults 25-54.
According to live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, Good Morning America averaged 3.20 million total viewers and 793,000 adults 25-54 for the week of Aug. 16. That represents solid +8% in the key A25-54 demo, and +5% growth in average total viewers from the previous week. Compared to the same week one year ago, GMA grew by less than +1% in average total viewers, but shed -4% in the A25-54 viewers.
Season to-date, GMA is the most-watched morning show for the 9th year in a row, and is increasing its lead over Today from the same point last season to its largest in 4 years—since the 2016-2017 season (+25%).
Over on NBC, Today averaged 3.075 million total viewers and 862,000 adults 25-54. That’s +2% in average total viewers and +5% among the key A25-54 set vs. the previous week. Compared to the same week one year ago, Today gained +1% of its average total audience, but shed -4% of its adults 25-54 audience.
Nevertheless, Today has ranked No. 1 on morning news in the key demo for 307 of the past 312 weeks, and even managed to average more total viewers than GMA and CBS This Morning this past Monday.
Third-place CBS This Morning averaged 2.545 million total viewers and 513,000 adults 25-54 for the week of Aug. 16. That’s +3% in average total viewers, and +1% in adults 25-54 from the previous week. It’s also +3% average total viewers but -10% adults 25-54 from the year-ago week.
Year-over-year growth in average total viewers isn’t something one sees often these days. Perhaps breaking news coverage of the Afghanistan situation played a role in that trend.
Nielsen live-plus-same-day numbers for the week of Aug. 16:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 3,201,000 | 3,075,000 | 2,545,000 |
| • A25-54: | 793,000 | 862,000 | 513,000 |