via Press Release

“GMA” IS #1 FOR THE WEEK: POSTS HISTORIC MARGINS OF VICTORY OVER 
NBC’S “TODAY” — LARGEST TOTAL VIEWER AND A25-54 MARGINS IN 18 YEARS

“GMA” on Top in 8 of Last 10 Weeks

 “GMA” Grows Week to Week and Year to Year While “Today” Declines Versus Last Year

Photo Credit: Donna Svenevik/ABC

ABC News’ “Good Morning America” won the week of August 27, 2012, ranking as the No. 1 morning newscast in both Total Viewers (5.386 million) and Adults 25-54 (1.969 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.  “GMA” outperformed NBC’s “Today” (4.503 million and 1.817 million, respectively) by +883,000 Total Viewers and +152,000 Adults 25-54, scoring its largest margins over “Today” in more than 18 years in both measures – since w/o 5/16/94 and w/o 8/15/94, respectively. Additionally, Goodmorningamerica.com on Yahoo! is the dominant morning news website, leading NBC’s Today.com by millions of pageviews and unique users.  In July 2012, 24 million people visited Goodmorningamerica.com on Yahoo!.

“GMA” has ranked No. 1 in Total Viewers for the last 3 weeks and in 8 of the last 10 (trailing an Olympics-fueled “Today” during the other 2 weeks).  “GMA” has also ranked No. 1 in Adults 25-54 in 3 of the last 7 weeks.

“GMA” was completely dominant in its victory over “Today” during the week, not only beating the NBC program in all 5 head-to-head telecasts in both Total Viewers (Mon: +714,000, Tues: +1.018 million, Wed: +728,000, Thurs: +989,000 and Fri: +971,000) and Adults 25-54 (Mon: +39,000, Tues: +153,000, Wed: +155,000, Thurs: +204,000 and Fri: +213,000), but owning the Top 5 telecasts of the week in Total Viewers and Top 4 in Adults 25-54.  Furthermore, for the first time in more than 18 years, “GMA” beat “Today” in all 5 telecasts in both Nielsen measures – since w/o 8/8/94.

For the 3rd straight week, “GMA” built on the previous week (4.837 million and 1.778 million, respectively, on w/o 8/20/12) in both Total Viewers (+11%) and Adults 25-54 (+11%).  Hitting a season high in Total Viewers, “Good Morning America” drew its largest overall audience in 16 months – since w/o 4/25/11, the week of the Royal Wedding. In addition, “GMA” turned in its strongest news demo performance in more than 3 months – since w/o 5/21/12.

“GMA” surged on its year-ago numbers (4.705 million and 1.747 million, respectively, on w/o 8/29/11) by double-digits in Total Viewers (+14%) and Adults 25-54 (+13%), standing as the only morning newscast to grow year to year – NBC’s “Today” (-9%/-18%) and “CBS This Morning” (-3%/-10%).

Season to date, “GMA” has cut its gaps with “Today” by more than half in both Total Viewers (-59%) and Adults 25-54 (-51%) versus its year-ago season gaps.  “GMA” is posting its smallest margins with “Today” in 17 years in Total Viewers (301,000) and Adult 25-54 (343,000) – 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” more than doubled the performance of “CBS This Morning” in both Total Viewers (+130%) and Adults 25-54 (+130%).

WEEK OF 8/27/12       TOTAL VIEWERS   ADULTS 25-54        HOUSEHOLDS

ABC                    5,386,000      1.7/12; 1,969,000     4.0/15

NBC                    4,503,000      1.5/11; 1,817,000     3.5/13

CBS                    2,338,000      0.7/ 5;   857,000     1.9/ 7

Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 8/27/12, 8/20/12 & 8/29/11, or as dated.  Most Current:  2011-2012 Season (9/19/11 – 9/2/12) and 2010-2011 Season (9/20/10 – 9/4/11).

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.

Peter Kramer/NBC

On the heels of “Days of our Lives” replacing the head writing team of Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. with a new head writing team consisting of Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell, TV Guide‘s Stephen Battaglio is reporting that part of the deal NBC signed in order to keep Matt Lauer with the network late last week could include a possible fifth hour of “The Today Show.”

TV Guide Reporting
“Lauer’s new agreement keeps him in the coanchor chair of the morning show for four years and includes a program development deal, which could give him an ownership stake in a syndicated show outside of ‘Today,’ TV Guide Magazine has learned. The contract could earn him in the neighborhood of $100 million, according to people familiar with the deal. One idea already being kicked around is spinning off Lauer’s regular segment ‘Today’s Professionals,’ in which he spars over hot-button issues with a panel that includes Star Jones, Donny Deutsch and Dr. Nancy Snyderman. The segment could also be developed into a fifth hour of ‘Today.’

NBC Universal

The ink on Lauer’s new NBC contract is barely even dry, so discussion of how it impacts “Days of our Lives” is too early to tell if even at all. Additionally, the network giving Lauer a stake in a syndicated program doesn’t necessarily mean the end of “DAYS” or any indication of the network looking to tinker with its barely there daytime schedule, which consists of the long-running daytime soap and hours three and four of “Today” (aka: The Today Show 2 and The Today Show 3). A syndicated program could logistically air on any affiliate willing to pay the most dollars to air it. This includes stations that currently air network programming from ABC, CBS, FOX or even The CW.

If, however, the network does decide to add a fifth hour of “Today” on its schedule, it would greatly impact the future of “DAYS” as NBC’s current contract with Sony Pictures Television and Corday Productions, producers of the soap, is set to expire in September 2013. A decision on renewing the show for additional years will not be made until at least March 2013, according to sources.

The latest Nielsen ratings data shows “DAYS” hit a new series low in Women 18-49 viewers and tied its series low in Women 18-49 rating, the key sales demographic advertising rates are set and sold by.