‘Today’ beats ‘GMA’ for three consecutive weeks

NBC News‘ “Today” has edged out “Good Morning America” in total viewers for three consecutive weeks, its longest run at the top in more than four years.

For the week of Nov. 11, 2024, the show averaged 2.682 million viewers in its live plus same-day figures for regularly titled shows. “GMA” was close behind at 2.654 million, with “CBS Mornings” at 2.070 million.

“Today” is also handily beating its two rivals in the adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 demos. It’s bringing in a 0.55 rating in the 24-54 group and a 0.33 rating in the 18-49, with ABC and CBS hovering around 0.36 and 0.21, respectively.

In its announcement trumpeting the ratings win, NBC also included what it labeled as “impression” figures for the demos, with “Today” registering 676,000 in the 25-54 and 437,000 in 18-49. CBS was at 414,000 in the 25-54 group and 278,000 in 18-49 with ABC at 467,000 and 284,000, respectively. It was not clear if the figures listed involved advertising, which is a common definition of the term “impression,” or if this was meant to represent another data point. 

NBC did not release data labeled as “total viewers” for the demos. It was also not immediately clear if any network retitled their morning programs the week of Nov. 11. NBC News did not respond to NewscastStudio’s request for clarification on the demo figures or retitling. 

During the 1990s and early 2000s, “Today” dominated morning television. However, ABC made significant gains in the years that followed, sending “Today” to second place in total viewers, though the shows often traded off and on for top performances in the key demos.

The news of the recent wins for “Today” come at a potentially pivotal time for the show; co-anchor Hoda Kotb is expected to step down from the show in January 2025, with Craig Melvin replacing her.

Anchor changes are known to cause shifts in ratings and Kotb is a popular personality. 

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Kotb is remaining with NBC News, though the network has not revealed what role she will play. Several unconfirmed reports indicated that Kotb is still negotiating her new deal, while others suggest her departure may have been a cost-saving move initiated by the network. NBC did not confirm these reports, however, and did not respond to earlier requests for comment on Kotb’s future plans. 

When new hosts take over, it’s not uncommon for shows to see an uptick in the ratings as viewers tune in to see the new face. Sustaining that growth in ratings triggered by a talent change is more of a challenge and typically more meaningful in the long term.