‘Today’–‘Good Morning America’ Ratings Race Heats Up as ‘CBS Mornings’ Lags

Dan ClarendonSun, October 18, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTC

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Savannah Guthrie, Michael Strahan, and Gayle King - Today YouTube; GMA YouTube; CBS Mornings YouTubeWe could have a new No. 1 morning show in the 25-to-54 demographic if this trend continues.

Good Morning America made a major rebound in the ratings and neared Today’s lead as September ended and October began. CBS Mornings, meanwhile, continued to lag far behind its morning-show rivals.

For viewers in the coveted 24-to-54-year-old demographic, GMA made double-digit gains in the week of September 28 to shorten Today’s lead to just 100,000 viewers, according to the latest Nielsen national live+same-day big data plus program ratings shared by TVNewser.

The ABC morning show averaged 2.722 million total viewers and 485,000 demo viewers that week, up 8 percent in total viewers and 19 percent in demo viewers week over week and 2 percent and 3 percent year over year, respectively.

Paula Lobo/ABC

NBC’s Today, which featured a surprise Hoda Kotb return that week, remained in first place, with 2.848 total viewers — up 2 percent week over week and 6 percent year over year — and 585,000 demo viewers, up 3 percent week over week and 7 percent year over year.

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CBS Mornings, which recently welcomed back Norah O’Donnell as cohost, was the only morning show of the bunch to lose viewers that week. The CBS program averaged 1.716 million total viewers — up 1 percent week over week but down 9 percent year over year and 275,000 demo viewers — down 2 percent week over week and 3 percent year over year.

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TVNewser recently shared morning news ratings for the 2025–2026 TV season as well. In those numbers, Today achieved its most watched broadcast season in four years, leading the pack with 2.948 million total viewers and 612,000 demo viewers. GMA was close behind in total viewers, getting 2.831 million, but farther behind in demo viewers, with 477,000. And CBS Mornings trailed with 1.770 million total viewers and 278,000 demo viewers.

GMA’s recent ratings success came amid gossip about the program’s hosts, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and George Stephanopoulos. “They can’t afford to keep all those anchors,” one source told the New York Post in a report published on September 28. “They’re going to need to cut their salaries significantly — and no one wants to take a pay cut.”

Another source, however, said that Roberts, Strahan, and Stephanopoulos are “the longest-running anchor team, and they’re the best at what they do, and it shows.”

Read the latest entertainment news on TV Insider.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”