Nielsen data for first week of the 2023-2024 broadcast TV season is now in, and the status quo remains the same as ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today remain the most-watched morning shows in total viewers and the key demo of Adults 25-54, respectively.
However, Today was the week’s lone morning show to register week-to-week gains in total viewers and A25-54 for the week of Sept 25. In the demo, Today also posted its largest lead over GMA in 44 weeks!
Of Note: Friday’s edition of Today was retitled to Today-TS (due to a special report on the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein) and is therefore excluded from the show’s weekly averages, meaning Today’s weekly ratings are based on Monday-Thursday broadcasts.
For the week of Sept. 25, according to live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, GMA averaged 2.91 million total viewers and 598,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo. GMA was down in total viewers by -1 % and -6% in the A25-54 demo when compared to the previous week. Looking at the morning show’s performance to the same week in 2022, GMA suffered double-digit drops in total viewers and the A25-54 demo, dropping by -13% and -20%, respectively.
NBC’s Today was in second place in total viewers with 2.78 million total viewers but led all morning shows with 709,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week of Sept. 25.
Today was up in total viewers and the key demo by +3% and +1%, respectively, when looking at the numbers from the previous week. This was Today’s seventh consecutive week as the No.1 show in the demo and its biggest win during the premiere week in two years. Compared to the same week in 2022, the NBC morning offering is down in total viewers by -4% and down -5% in the A25-54 demo.
CBS Mornings was in third place with a 2.19 million total viewers-average and 429,000 viewers in A25-54 demo for the week of Sept. 25. Compared to the previous week, the morning show saw decline in total viewers by -1% and a -4% decline in the A25-54 demo. Looking at the same period in 2022, CBS Mornings, like GMA, hemorrhaged viewers as it was down by double digits in total viewers and A25-54 demo by -10% and -20%, respectively.
Nielsen live-plus-same-day numbers for the week of September 25, 2023:
| ABC | NBC | CBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 2,907,000 | 2,779,000 | 2,191,000 |
| • A25-54: | 598,000 | 709,000 | 439,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 Live + SD Current Week (w/o 9/25/23), Previous Week (w/o 9/18/23) and Year-Ago Week (w/o 9/19/22). Beginning 8/31/20, national ratings also include Out of Home (OOH) viewing. Averages based on regular telecasts.