‘TODAY’ Continues To Close Ratings Gap With GMA

NEW YORK – September 18, 2014 – NBC’s TODAY continues to gain momentum and post significant ratings growth.  For the week of September 8, TODAY posted its biggest total viewer audience in nearly four months (since the week of 5/19/14).  TODAY has delivered three straight weeks of growth in total viewers and closed the gap with GMA by 12% versus the same week last year.  TODAY also posted growth in total viewers and A18-49 week-to-week.

Season-to-date, TODAY is posting the largest total viewer growth of the morning news shows gaining nearly 300k.  In the key demo A25-54, TODAY grew 5% year-over-year.  TODAY ranks as the #1 morning news broadcast in A18-49 for the season.

TODAY HIGHLIGHTS:

• TODAY averaged 4.672 million total viewers, leading CBS by +59% (+1,729,000)
  • TODAY’s total viewership grew for the 3rd consecutive week and hit its best level since the week of 5/19/2014
  • This was also TODAY’s biggest total viewer win over CBS since the week of 5/19/2014
• TODAY averaged 1.813 million A25-54 viewers, +91% (+864,000) more than CBS
  • TODAY’s 1.5 A25-54 rating beat CBS by +88% (+7 tenths)
• TODAY was #1 for the week among A18-49 viewers with 1.506 million, topping GMA by +3% (+38,000) and CBS by +155% (+916,000)
• Versus the same week last season, TODAY improved by +13,000 total viewers and closed the gap with GMA by 12%
• Week-to-week, TODAY posted growth among total viewers (+1%, or +34,000) and A18-49 viewers (+2%, or +27,000)
  • TODAY widened its total viewer lead versus CBS by 3% compared to the previous week
• TODAY also posted double-digit increases across-the-board versus its 3Q average in total viewers (+10%, or +410,000), rating W/M/A18-49 (+23%/+14%/+20%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+11%/+11%/+15%)
  • TODAY widened its advantages versus CBS compared to 3Q levels in total viewers (by 20%), A18-49 viewers (by 30%), and A25-54 viewers (by 14%)
• Season-to-date, TODAY is posting the largest total viewer growth among the morning news broadcasts (+6%, or +267,000)
  • TODAY has also seen season-to-date gains in rating W/A18-49 (+7%/+9%), and rating W/M25-54 (+5%/+10%).  Among A25-54 viewers, TODAY is up +5% (+88,000) year-over-year.
  • Compared to last season, TODAY has widened its advantage over CBS by 13% among A25-54 viewers
• TODAY continues to rank as the #1 morning news program season-to-date in all 18-49 demo ratings

RATINGS DATA:

Week of September 8

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NBC’s TODAY is the news program that informs, entertains, inspires and sets the agenda each morning for Americans. Airing live from 7 am to 11 am ET, TODAY reaches more than 5 million people every day through its broadcast, and millions more through TODAY.com, the TODAY app, and social media platforms. Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Willie Geist, Tamron Hall, Carson Daly, Hoda Kotb, and Kathie Lee Gifford are the anchors and hosts, Jamie Horowitz is the SVP and general manager, and Don Nash is the executive producer.