Despite Airing Against an Olympics-Boosted "Today," "GMA" Posts Virtually Identical Total Viewer and Adults 25-54 Numbers to its Year-Ago Marks

Season to Date "GMA" is Only Morning Program to Grow in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54

For week one of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, ABC News' "Good Morning America" drew 4.359 million Total Viewers and a 1.4 rating/11 share/1.642 million Adults 25-54 during the week of July 30, 2012, according to Nielsen Media Research. "GMA" improved on its performance compared to week one of the 2008 Summer Olympics in both Total Viewers (+17%) and Adults 25-54 (+1%) - 3.712 million and 1.623 million, respectively, on w/o 8/11/08. In fact, "GMA" posted increases in all 5 corresponding telecasts of the week in Total Viewers. In contrast, NBC's "Today" turned in losses from its weekly performance four years ago (-8%/-16% - 6.516 million and 2.962 million, respectively), as well as in each corresponding telecasts in both measures.

Comparing week one of the Summer Olympics in London versus week one in Beijing, "GMA" substantially reduced its margins with "Today" by -43% in Total Viewers (1.606 million vs. 2.804 million) and by -36% in Adults 25-54 (855,000 vs. 1.339 million). In fact, "GMA" delivered its smallest margins opposite a Summer Olympics-fuel "Today Show" in both Nielsen measures since at least the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. (Note: "Today" did not air during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the Nielsen electronic database started in September 1991).

Despite airing against an Olympics-boosted "Today Show," "GMA" turned in virtually identical numbers to its year-ago marks (w/o 8/1/11) in both Total Viewers (4.359 million vs. 4.400 million) and Adults 25-54 (1.642 million vs. 1.658 million).

Season to date, "GMA" has cut its gaps with "Today" by half in both Total Viewers (-56%) and Adults 25-54 (-50%) versus its year-ago season gaps. In fact, "GMA" is posting its smallest margins with "Today" in 17 years in Total Viewers (332,000) and Adult 25-54 (357,000) - since the 1994-95 season.

Season to date "GMA" is the only morning program to grow in Total Viewers (+4%) and Adults 25-54 (+6%) versus its year-ago averages (NBC's "Today:" -5%/-10%, respectively; CBS' "This Morning:" -6%/-8%, respectively). "GMA" is seeing its largest overall season audience in 6 years, since 2005-06.

"GMA" nearly doubled the performance of "CBS This Morning" in both Total Viewers (+94% - 4.359 million vs. 2.251 million) and Adults 25-54 (+92% - 1.642 million vs. 853,000).

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 7/30/12, 7/23/12 & 8/1/11, or as dated. Most Current: 2011-2012 Season (9/19/11 - 8/5/12) and 2010-2011 Season (9/20/10 - 8/7/11).

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. Tom Cibrowski is senior executive producer.

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