For the 7th consecutive week, Good Morning America and Today show split the weekly morning show ratings race. GMA averaged the most total viewers (3.4 million), while Today captured the most adults 25-54 (1.0 million) for the week of Sept. 21, 2020.
This is according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day for the opening week of the 2020-2021 season.
Today show’s 1.03 million adults 25-54 average is +33,000 more than what GMA and +443,000 more than what CBS This Morning averaged this past week.
Today has earned either an outright win or a first-place tie in the A25-54 measurement for 57 consecutive weeks and 246 of the past 248 weeks.
The 1.031 million adults 25-54 is the largest delivery from that measurement in 15 weeks.
Compared with the prior week (Sept. 14, 2020), Today was +2% among the A25-54 demo and steady in average total viewers. However, compared with the year-ago week (Sept. 23 2019), the show was -8% in total viewers and -11% in the A25-54 demo.
Good Morning America kicked off the 2020-2021 season as the No. 1 morning show in total viewers for the 9th consecutive year.
GMA’s total viewers average is roughly +142,000 more than Today and +911,000 more than what CBS This Morning averaged for the week.
GMA also averaged 998,000 adults 25-54, a 16-week-high in the measurement; second behind Today but ahead of CTM.
The ABC morning show was -1% in total viewers +6% in A25-54 demo viewers from the previous week. However, the broadcast was -8% in total viewers and -11% in adults 25-54 compared to the year-ago week.
CBS This Morning averaged 2.5 million total viewers and 588,000 A25-54 viewers. That represents -4% in total viewers, -2% in the demo vs. the prior week, -6% in total viewers and a whopping -16% in adults 25-54 from the year-ago week.
Due to the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Service on Wednesday (Sept. 23), CBS This Morning was retitled to “CBS This Morn” and Today was retitled to “Today Show-TS.”
In addition, due to coverage of Justice Ginsburg at the Capitol on Friday (Sept. 25), Good Morning America was retitled to “Good Morning, Amer,” CBS This Morning was retitled to “CBS This Morn” and Today was retitled to Today Show-TS. The telecasts are excluded from the weekly averages.
ABC’s averages are based on 4 days (Mon-Thurs), while CBS’ and NBC’s averages are based on 3 days (Mon, Tue and Thurs).
Live-plus-same-day numbers for the week of Sept. 21:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 3,426,000 | 3,284,000 | 2,515,000 |
| • A25-54: | 998,000 | 1,031,000 | 588,000 |