Bob Costas isn’t the only NBC face with red eyes.
The Peacock Network’s “Today” show broadcast from Sochi got trounced by ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.
It is believed that it is the first time “Today” was beaten in the overall ratings during an Olympics .
NBC has carried every summer and winter Olympics since 2000.
The “GMA” coverage won 6.42 million total viewers, or 412,000 more than “Today,” on Tuesday.
Network brass were hoping that the Olympics would put some ratings wind in the sails of the Matt Lauer- and Savannah Guthrie-hosted show.
But a lack of big wins from Team USA may have stymied interest among viewers on that particular night. some said.
“GMA,” helmed by Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, was also covering the news of Shirley Temple’s death on Tuesday.
The first few days of the Sochi Olympics had helped “Today” win back its No. 1 position in the advertiser-sought after demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54 years.
But on Tuesday, the two broadcasts were separated by just 90,000 viewers — with NBC winning the demographic by a nose.
The “Today” show has a 24-hour exclusive window with Olympic athletes, after which other networks can conduct interviews.
Rumors surfaced that affiliates are upset “Today” isn’t winning the ratings race by a mile given the huge investment in the Olympics.
Elsewhere, NBC has been pulling in some huge numbers. Horizon Media’s Brad Adgate noted in a tweet: “First five nights of primetime, Sochi 25.9 million viewers;
Vancouver, 26.4 million viewers, Torino 21.6 million, Salt Lake City 33.6 million viewers.”