‘Today’ Snares Top Two Positions in Morning-News Battle for First Time in 14 Years

NBC’s “Today” is back on top in TV’s never-ending morning wars.

The A.M. news franchise finished the 2025-26 broadcast season with the most viewers overall among morning programs and the most viewers between the ages of 25 and 54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers in TV-news content. It is the first time since the 2011-2012 TV season, when Matt Lauer and Ann Curry served as co-anchors of the show, that “Today” has beaten its competitors on both categories.

The wins come amid a trying period for show personnel. The kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, mother of Savannah Guthrie, captured national attention during the first half of the year. The loss the Guthrie family continues to feel — Nancy Guthrie’s whereabouts remain unknown — continues to be discussed occasionally on air.

“Today” captured an average of 2.938 million viewers for the season, 4%, or 114,000 viewers higher, than audience levels at ABC’s “Good Morning America,” according to data from Nielsen, and 67%, or 1.174 million higher than viewership at “CBS Mornings.” Overall, the audience for “Today” rose by 7%, or 185,000 viewers, over the previous season.

“Today” won an average of 609,000 viewers between 25 and 54, 28%, or 134,000 more than “GMA” and 120%, or 332,000 more than “CBS Mornings.” It is the largest share of the demographic captured by the show in 15 years, according to data from Nielsen.

One ever-present dynamic of TV’s morning-news battle is that it never ends. “Today” will have to contend with not only its usual competition from “GMA,” but a new lineup at CBS, where Norah O’Donnell has rejoined the network’s A.M. team.