Savannah Guthrie’s ‘Today’ return: Ratings boost falls short of NBC expectations
- By Sarah Brohi -
- Apr 23, 2026
Savannah Guthrie returned to the NBC morning show Today after her mother Nancy Guthrie‘s abduction had less of an impact on ratings than expected, according to a report.
According to Nielsen’s national live+same-day big data plus program ratings, per Ad Week, Today led its competitors in total viewers during the week of April 6.
Savannah’s return to the show boosted the program to 3.139 million total viewers and 630,000 viewers in the 25–54 demographic that week. This easily bested Good Morning America’s 2.898 million total viewers and 493,000 viewers ages 25-54, and CBS Mornings’ 1.74 million total viewers and 251,000 viewers ages 25–54.
For the week of April 6, Today saw a 6% increase in total viewers and a 2% increase in the 25–54 demographic when compared to the week before. And when compared to the same week in 2025, the show saw a 21% jump in total viewers and 2% increase in the 25–54 group.
On April 20, Megyn Kelly spoke with entertainment journalist Rob Shuter about Today’s ratings during Savannah’s first week back on The Megyn Kelly Show, who claimed they weren’t as impactful as expected.
“The show really thought it was going to be a massive moment. Everybody at NBC thought there were going to be hundreds of people, if not thousands of people, in the plaza,” Shuter claimed. Additionally, he claimed that Today had “hired extra security” and expected a crowd of people at the plaza, like at “a pop concert, like Justin Bieber.”
He continued, “A decent-sized crowd showed up, but not overwhelming. And then the ratings for Savannah’s return, they were up. But they were not up like the show thought they would be.”
During her first moments on camera on April 6, Savannah told viewers, “Good morning. Welcome to today, on this Monday morning. We are so glad you started your week with us. And it is good to be home.” Her co-anchor, Craig Melvin, replied, “Yes, it is good to have you back at home.”
“Well, here we go, ready or not. Let’s do the news,” she declared. On Feb. 1, Nancy’s family reported the 84-year-old missing after she was last seen at her Tucson, Ariz., home on the evening of Jan. 31. No suspect has been named in the case after more than 11 weeks—despite Savannah offering a $1 million reward.