Season-to-Date, "GMA" Posts Smallest Total Viewer Margin with "Today" in 16 Years

"GMA" Slashes Year-to-Year Total Viewer and Demo Margins with "Today"

ABC News' "Good Morning America" attracted 4.666 Total Viewers and 1.5/11/1.833 million Adults 25-54 for the week of January 2, 2012.  "GMA" improved on the previous week by double-digits in both Total Viewers (+12%) and Adults 25-54 (+26%).

 "GMA" built on the year-ago week for the 14th time in 16 weeks in Total Viewers (+3%) and in 15 of 16 weeks in Adults 25-54 (+5%) this season .  In addition, "GMA" was the only morning newscast to be up on the year-earlier week (NBC's "Today" was down -4%/-9%; CBS' "Early Show" was down -22%/-27%).    

For the 15th time in 16 weeks this season, "GMA" narrowed its year-to-year margins with "Today" in both Total Viewers (-38% - 598,000 vs. 960,000) and Adults 25-54 (-37% - 539,000 vs. 856,000).  In addition, "GMA" lowered its news demo margin with "Today" versus the prior week (-8% - 539,000 vs. 587,000) .

Season to date, "GMA" narrowed its gaps in both Total Viewers (-39%) and Adults 25-54 (-39%) versus its year-ago season gaps.  The ABC morning newscast is posting its smallest Total Viewer margin (555,000) with "Today" in 16 years - since the 1995-96 season.

"GMA" more than doubled the performance of CBS' "Early Show" in both Total Viewers (+112%) and Adults 25-54 (+106%), scoring it 2nd-largest advantages of the season over the CBS program (+2.467 million and +945,000, respectively) .

Season to date "GMA" is up the most among network morning news programs in Viewers (+9%), and is the only morning program to grow in Adults 25-54 (+10%) versus year-ago averages (NBC's "Today" is up by less than +1% and down -6%, respectively; CBS' "Early Show" is down -10% and -12%, respectively). "GMA" is seeing its largest overall season audience in 4 years, since the 2007-08 Season.

Note:  Due to the New Year's holiday, all three programs were coded specials on Monday (1/2/12).  The weekly averages are based on 4 days (1/3 - 1/6/12).

Emmy Award-winning "GMA," featuring the anchor team of Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Sam Champion, Lara Spencer and Josh Elliott, airs live Mon.-Fri. (7:00-9:00 a.m., ET) on ABC. James Goldston is senior executive producer and Tom Cibrowski is executive producer.

WEEK OF 1/2/12          TOTAL VIEWERS      ADULTS 25-54          HOUSEHOLDS

ABC                    4,666,000        1.5/11; 1,833,000     3.5/13

NBC                    5,264,000        2.0/14; 2,372,000     4.0/15

CBS                    2,199,000        0.7/ 5;   888,000     1.6/ 6

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 1/2/12, 12/26/11 & 1/3/11.  Most Current:  2011-2012 Season (9/19/11 - 1/8/12) and 2010-2011 Season (9/20/10 - 1/9/11).   

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