Boosted its annual presentation of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast, NBC’s Today won the morning show ratings race this past week, among total viewers (3.8 million) and adults 25-54 (1.2 million).
That’s now back-to-back weekly ratings wins for NBC’s morning juggernaut.
However, Today show’s win comes with a bit of a catch. The program’s weekly ratings averages are based on three days, (Monday, Tuesday and Thanksgiving Thursday). On the other hand, GMA’s weekly averages are based on just two days (Monday and Tuesday), while CBS This Morning’s are based on three days (Monday-Wednesday). ABC and CBS did not bother to count their respective Thursday broadcasts towards their weekly ratings averages, assuming the overwhelming majority of their respective audiences would be tuning into NBC Thursday morning for the parade. In fact, on Thursday, CBS went ahead and showed a repeat of their coverage of last year’s parade.
This year is also the first time we can recall NBC deciding to include Today’s Thanksgiving Day telecast towards Today’s Thanksgiving week ratings.
However, on the two days that GMA and Today did go head-to-head last week (Monday and Tuesday), the ABC morning show averaged more total viewers than the NBC morning show. GMA averaged +131,000 more total viewers than Today on Monday, and +34,000 more total viewers than Today on Tuesday.
GMA posted +1% growth in total viewers and +4% growth among adults 25-54 vs. the week prior. However, versus the same week in 2019. the ABC morning show was -10% in total viewers and -14% among adults 25-54.
Today beat GMA head-to-head among adults 25-54 throughout the week, per usual. Counting the Macy’s broadcast, Today was +9% in total viewers and +9% among adults 25-54 from the prior week. Relative to last year, however, the show was -2% in total viewers and -8% among adults 25-54.
CBS This Morning held flat week-to-week. Its year-over-year trend, however, was a bit strange: +1% in total viewers, but -18% among adults 25-54.
Live-plus-same-day numbers for the week of Nov. 23
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 3,519,000 | 3,823,000 | 2,833,000 |
| • A25-54: | 938,000 | 1,182,000 | 618,000 |