'Good Morning America' Catching Up To 'Today' In Early Season Ratings

ABC's "Good Morning America" appears to be giving NBC's "Today" a bit of a run for its money in the past few weeks.

Over the past two weeks, "GMA" has closed the ratings gap with "Today" to its smallest point in sixteen years. Though "GMA" still trails "Today," its ratings show a 17% increase in total viewers from last season to date. In the season premiere week of late September, the ABC show trailed its rival by 397,000 viewers.

However, "GMA" is not out of the woods by any means. "Today" is still the undisputed morning leader, and also increased its total viewers from 2010 (though by a much smaller one percent). " dropped two percent. In addition, "Today" continues to hold a strong lead in the key 25-54 demographic.

Both shows have undergone substantial change in the past few months — adding many new anchors and, in the case of "GMA," even redoing entire sets. The morning shows are the cash cows of their respective news networks, netting hundreds of millions of dollars of profits, and so the competition for ratings is incredibly fierce. It is not yet clear whether the recent "GMA" ratings are a flash in the pan or the sign of a more competitive morning field.

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Comments

[mellene]

11:04 AM on 10/10/2011

When the top two headlines on the morning shows are the missing baby story and Paul McCarthney getting married, it shows you what a bunch of nothing is filling those shows' time instead of anything relevant to the public. I tune in to the headlines on all three and then turn the set off within 2-3 minutes.

[Jason Wolfe]

04:13 AM on 10/10/2011

I'm very much a morning person, whereas, I go to sleep as soon as these morning shows come on.

[TexianLife]

01:26 PM on 10/09/2011

Both news programs on ABC & NBC SUCK.

[colbert for president]

01:54 PM on 10/07/2011

GMA has become unwatchable. All the graphics and scrolling messages are a distraction and the pop culture segments with Lara are awful. She is obnoxious. Today Show has a refreshingly calm, serious tone by comparison. However, I change the channel when Ann does an interview. She is so melodramatic and sappy and her voice becomes very low. I prefer Matt or Natalie doing interviews and Savannah and Al are great with genuine appeal. George S. is wasted on GMA - he was much better asking tough questions on This Week.

[Stephen Thorpe]

06:10 AM on 10/07/2011

I avoid these morning shows.

Up next: 'Katie Holms spotted walking her dog.'

..............'She actually scoops her own doggie poopies!'

[davis brant]

10:36 PM on 10/06/2011

this is SOOOOO interesting

[middledge]

08:46 PM on 10/06/2011

NBC has cannibalized the Today Show with Morning Joe eating any news junkies Today may have had...I watched the today show for 50 years...50 years!..Dave Garaway...Frank McGee...ect...I haven't watched The Today Show for the last 2,-3? years...just don't have the patience for the fluff.....of course, all news/politics all the time, has made me miserable........feels right though....this is a miserable time.....

[hursh 4 ever]

05:40 AM on 10/07/2011

fluff is right, when I first saw the headline about morning shows... the 1st word that came to my mind was fluff... even before i read your post. Morning shows are like a generic box of cereal... not really news, not really anything important.

[Tony Persaud]

08:10 PM on 10/06/2011

I say watch neither "GMA" or "Today" and watch "The Daily Buzz" for your morning fix.

[pangie]

07:01 PM on 10/06/2011

The reason I stopped watching Today Show was Ann Curry. She talks so fast I couldn't understand her. She almost mumbles.

[G Goo]

07:46 PM on 10/06/2011

Totally Agree!
At times, she has trouble getting out a coherent sentence.

[maxfax]

06:32 PM on 10/06/2011

Have to give them their props, they've made a considerable improvement, besides anythng without Guthrie is good.

[booksnstuff]

05:41 PM on 10/06/2011

I LOVE ANN CURRY!!! But the TODAY show MILKS their top stories for far too long. It does not make any sense to spend as much time as they do on breaking news. I mean, they really go overboard. Especially when storms break or someone famous dies. Whenever that happens, I just watch something else like Morning Joe or C-Span until the TODAY salivating is over, I can do without them wasting my precious time when I can easily go on line and read about what they're reporting on in a matter of minutes. This turns me off so much that many times I don't even go back to TODAY. GIVE IT A BREAK ,TODAY SHOW!!!

[maxfax]

06:34 PM on 10/06/2011

Her interviews this week, were less than stellar, in fact they were bordering on maudlin.

[retrievals]

05:34 PM on 10/06/2011

Morning shows are the most nauseating programming in the entire TV universe. It's built for the serious sheoples.

[maxfax]

06:36 PM on 10/06/2011

How can anyone learn anything with insta-cliff notes of world events; they're getting worse with this 3 minute stories, 5 minute commercials, particularly on Today.

[hpblue5011]

10:06 PM on 10/06/2011

Agreed!

[lillypad1]

05:31 PM on 10/06/2011

My vote is with Robin and George plus Lara S, Losh E. and Sam Champion. They chat like regular folks.

[maxfax]

06:37 PM on 10/06/2011

They present themselves as though they are enjoying their work, besides each other, plus they're a smart group.

[cookerman45]

05:14 PM on 10/06/2011

"Today....is Yesterday"

[timber1647]

04:53 PM on 10/06/2011

Morning Joe! Morning Joe! Morning Joe! ...........but I do like Ann Curry....a lot....

[cookerman45]

05:16 PM on 10/06/2011

worst show on tv.....they all "Pose for camera shots"(especially Mika)......NO depth,....shallow.

[timber1647]

02:48 PM on 10/07/2011

One is entitled to one's opinion...........btw, do you watch Fox and Friends? Just askin..