Morning News Ratings: NBC’s Today Maintains Narrow Lead Over GMA
The race for morning news dominance has reached a fever pitch. In the final week of April 2026, NBC News’ Today and ABC News’ Good Morning America (GMA) continued their intense battle for the top spot, with the margin between the two programs shrinking to a razor-thin lead.
While total viewership saw a modest increase across all three major networks, a troubling trend emerged in the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demographic, where every network experienced a week-to-week decline. This divergence suggests that while the broad audience is growing, capturing the younger, high-spending demographic remains a significant challenge for morning broadcasters.
The Battle for First Place: Today vs. GMA
NBC’s Today held onto its position as the most-watched morning program for the week of April 27, though its lead is under significant pressure. The show averaged 3.014 million total viewers and 597,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo.
ABC’s Good Morning America followed closely behind, averaging 2.961 million total viewers and 475,000 viewers in the key demographic. The gap between the two industry giants has narrowed to just 56,000 total viewers, highlighting the extreme competitiveness of the time slot.
Comparing current performance to the previous week, both shows saw a +1% increase in total viewers. However, both struggled in the demo: Today fell by 7% and GMA dropped by 6%.
CBS Mornings: Struggling for Momentum
CBS News continues to trail its competitors. For the week of April 27, CBS Mornings averaged 1.815 million total viewers and 298,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo.
Despite a 3% week-over-week increase in total viewers, the program saw a 4% decline in the demo. More concerning is the year-over-year trajectory; CBS Mornings is the only morning show to experience declines compared to the same week in 2025, falling 6% in total viewers and 1% in the demo.
Year-Over-Year Performance Comparison
When looking at the broader trend from 2025 to 2026, the growth patterns vary significantly across the networks:
- NBC (Today): Demonstrated strong growth with a 17% increase in total viewers, while remaining flat in the A25-54 demo.
- ABC (GMA): Showed healthy gains, increasing total viewers by 10% and the A25-54 demo by 7%.
- CBS (CBS Mornings): Faced a downturn, with total viewers dropping 6% and the demo falling 1%.
Ratings Summary: Week of April 27, 2026
| Metric | ABC (GMA) | NBC (Today) | CBS (CBS Mornings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Viewers | 2,961,000 | 3,014,000 | 1,815,000 |
| Adults 25-54 | 475,000 | 597,000 | 298,000 |
Source: Nielsen National Live + Same Day Substantial Data Plus Panel Program Ratings.
Key Takeaways for Industry Stakeholders
- Market Saturation: The narrow 56,000-viewer gap between Today and GMA suggests a ceiling for total viewership growth among legacy broadcast morning shows.
- Demo Volatility: The universal decline in the A25-54 demographic indicates a shift in how younger audiences consume morning news, likely moving toward digital-first or on-demand platforms.
- CBS Divergence: While NBC and ABC are growing compared to 2025, CBS is losing ground, signaling a need for a potential strategic pivot in content or delivery.
Editorial Note on Data Methodology
several programs underwent retitling during this period: Good Morning America became GMA-ABC and Today became Today-TS on April 28, 2026, while CBS Mornings was retitled to CBS Morn on April 29, 2026. These specific retitled telecasts were excluded from the weekly and season averages to maintain data consistency. Weekly averages for ABC and NBC were based on four days (Monday and Wednesday-Friday), while CBS averages were based on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
As the 2025-2026 season progresses, the ability of these networks to reverse the demo decline will be the primary driver of advertising revenue and long-term viability.