‘Today’ Wins Week After Rio Games Wrap, But ‘CBS This Morning’ Shows Growth
Despite a Ryan Lochte Potty-gate do-over interview, Billy Bush unveiling, and adorable puppy and Al Roker burgers, NBC’s Today show slid in its first week after the Rio Olympics compared to same week following the London Summer Games four years earlier.
Sure, Today won the morning infotainment show ratings week, clocking clocking 4.34M viewers and 1.8M news demo viewers. Today edged ABC’s Good Morning America’s 4.25M and 1.4M news demo viewers.
But Today was down 1% in overall audience and 2% in the news demo compared to its first week after the London Summer Games. Given the troubles with which Today grappled since those London Games, that might not be so bad.
And, GMA, meanwhile, tumbled 9% and 21%, respectively, compared to that first week after London Games.
But, CBS This Morning jumped 43% and 17% compared to its first week after the London Games. And yet, it finished a lap behind its competitors, with 3.41M total viewers and 1M news demo viewers.
On its first broadcast post Rio, last Monday, Today confirmed what press reports have been saying for months: Billy Bush would replace Willie Geist on the third hour of Today. That broadcast also featured the rest of Matt Lauer’s Potty-gate interview with embattled U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, who said he took “full responsibility” for “over-exaggerating” when he told Billy Bush he was pulled over and robbed by someone who put a gun to his head in Rio de Janeiro. Willie Geist’s announcement he was turning over the show’s third hour to BUsh also had to wait until after the introduction of Today‘s new service-puppy-in-training, and shared the stage with Al Roker’s Roker Burger unveiling: Angus beef topped with barbequed pulled pork, American cheese, red-eye mayo and pickles, to be sold at Shake Shacks last week in support of the No Kid Hungry campaign.
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