Morning Show Ratings Report: NBC’s ‘Today’ Defies Post-Holiday Slump as Rivals Face Declines

In the high-stakes world of network morning television, consistency is the ultimate currency. For the week of May 25, 2026—a period complicated by the Memorial Day holiday—that currency belonged almost exclusively to NBC’s Today. While the competitive landscape saw the major morning programs navigating the typical post-holiday viewership dip, Today managed to pull off a rare feat: achieving growth in the advertiser-coveted demographic while maintaining its firm grip on the top spot.

According to the latest Nielsen national live-plus-same-day big data and program ratings, the morning landscape remains a fiercely contested battleground. While ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS’s CBS Mornings struggled to maintain momentum during the final week of May, Today demonstrated a resilience that highlights the program’s deepening connection with its core audience.

The State of the Morning Race: A Snapshot of the Week

The week of May 25 proved challenging for all three major network morning shows, largely due to the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 25. Because all three programs were classified as "specials" on that day, industry standards dictate that Monday’s numbers are excluded from the weekly and season-to-date averages. Consequently, the performance metrics for this report are based on the four-day period from Tuesday, May 26, through Friday, May 29, 2026.

Despite the abbreviated week, the data tells a clear story of market leadership. NBC’s Today secured the number one position in both total viewers and the Adults 25–54 demographic. ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA) maintained its second-place standing, while CBS’s CBS Mornings continued to look for ways to close the gap between itself and the two larger programs.

The Numerical Breakdown

• NBC’s Today: 2.95 million total viewers; 597,000 in the A25-54 demo.
• ABC’s Good Morning America: 2.678 million total viewers; 425,000 in the A25-54 demo.
• CBS’s CBS Mornings: 1.757 million total viewers; 282,000 in the A25-54 demo.

Chronology of the Week: Navigating the Holiday Shift

The rhythm of morning television is dictated by the pulse of the nation, and the week of May 25 was no exception. As viewers transitioned from a holiday weekend into the unofficial start of the summer season, viewing habits shifted.

Following the Memorial Day broadcast, the networks returned to their standard programming blocks on Tuesday. Historically, the week immediately following a major federal holiday sees a degree of viewership volatility. For Good Morning America, this period resulted in a slight contraction. Compared to the previous week, GMA saw a 2% decline in total viewers and a 3% dip in the A25-54 demo. When measured against the same week in 2025, the picture was mixed: a 2% increase in total viewers was offset by a 9% decline in the key demographic.

Conversely, Today’s performance provided a stark contrast to the general trend. While the show experienced a marginal 1% dip in total viewers, it surged by 6% in the A25-54 demographic compared to the previous week. This growth stands out as the only positive performance in either key category across all three networks. More impressively, when looking at year-over-year data, Today demonstrated significant strength, growing 15% in total viewers and 10% in the A25-54 demo compared to the same week in 2025.

CBS’s CBS Mornings faced the stiffest headwinds during this period. The program recorded a 7% decline in total viewers and a 12% drop in the A25-54 demographic compared to the previous week. When measured against the year-ago period, the program was down 4% in total viewers and 18% in the demographic, signaling that the network is currently navigating a period of adjustment in its morning strategy.

Supporting Data: Understanding Nielsen’s Methodology

To grasp the significance of these numbers, one must understand the evolution of how these metrics are captured. Nielsen’s current reporting utilizes "Big Data + Panel" measurements. This approach combines traditional household panel data with set-top box data, providing a more comprehensive view of how, when, and where Americans are watching.

The transition to this more robust data stream, which began with the 2023–2024 season, is designed to capture the nuance of modern viewing habits—including time-shifted viewing and the impact of streaming components. However, it also creates challenges for historical comparisons. As noted by industry analysts, year-over-year comparisons for this report rely on a hybrid of Big Data + Panel and legacy panel measurements, which necessitates a degree of caution when interpreting long-term trends.

The season-to-date figures, covering the period from September 22, 2025, through May 31, 2026, continue to provide the definitive scorecard for the season. While individual weekly fluctuations make for interesting headlines, the cumulative data serves as the barometer for the long-term health of these programs.

Implications for the Morning News Industry

The divergence in performance between the three major networks raises critical questions regarding the future of the morning news genre. For NBC, the success of Today during the final week of May is a testament to the brand’s enduring power. The ability to grow in the 25–54 demographic—the cohort most sought after by luxury, tech, and pharmaceutical advertisers—is a vital indicator of the show’s relevance to the modern consumer.

For ABC and CBS, the post-holiday numbers suggest a need to re-evaluate segment programming and talent engagement. Good Morning America, despite its second-place standing, is clearly feeling the pressure to retain its younger audience, as evidenced by the 9% year-over-year decline in the demo. Meanwhile, the consistent decline in CBS Mornings’ numbers underscores the difficulty of establishing a third pillar in a highly saturated, legacy-dominated market.

The Role of Counter-Programming and Content

As the television industry looks toward the summer, the focus shifts to how these programs will handle the "lull" period. Traditionally, summer brings a change in viewing demographics as school calendars shift and families travel. Today’s current momentum suggests it has successfully cultivated a "must-watch" identity that persists even when the news cycle is less frenetic.

Industry leaders are watching closely to see if this growth is a temporary spike caused by specific editorial choices or if it represents a sustained shift in viewer loyalty. As platforms like ADWEEK continue to track these shifts, the conversations surrounding audience retention, digital integration, and the impact of social media clips on linear ratings will become increasingly central to the survival of the morning show model.

Future Outlook: Looking Beyond the Weekly Ratings

As we move into the summer of 2026, the battle for the morning remains an essential indicator of the health of the television news business. While the dominance of Today is currently clear, the competitive landscape is never static.

The industry is currently in a state of flux, defined by:

1. Platform Fragmentation: Viewers are increasingly accessing morning news segments via social media, YouTube, and network-owned streaming apps, often bypassing the linear broadcast entirely.
2. Editorial Shifts: The networks are experimenting with shorter, more "snackable" segments to compete with the rapid-fire nature of digital content.
3. Ad-Revenue Pressure: As demographic numbers shift, the pressure on morning shows to prove their value to advertisers has never been higher.

In conclusion, while the week of May 25 was defined by a post-holiday dip for the majority of the field, NBC’s Today has managed to solidify its position through a combination of audience loyalty and strategic growth in key demographics. Whether this trend continues through the summer months will depend on the networks’ ability to innovate, adapt to shifting viewer behaviors, and maintain the delicate balance between hard news coverage and lifestyle programming.

As the industry prepares for upcoming events, such as the Cannes Lions 2026, these ratings will undoubtedly fuel further conversations among media executives about the future of linear television. For now, NBC sits comfortably at the top, but in the relentless world of morning news, the next week’s ratings are always just around the corner.