Amid Battle For Ratings, ‘Good Morning America’ Braces For Times Square Exit
As part of the larger move by The Walt Disney Company to relocate its New York properties to Hudson Square, Good Morning America is getting ready to leave its longtime home in Times Square.
That’s right, next year, Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan will soon be greeting morning viewers from a new locale.
While the move out of Times Square won’t happen until next year, staffers are already considering how the big move will affect the program’s ongoing ratings battle.
Times Square Has Helped Boost ‘GMA’
Times Square has helped Good Morning America top The Today Show. For years, Today has regularly sent anchors out to midtown Manhattan to talk to passers-by on the streets. Good Morning America’s move into TImes Square infused the spirit of the city of the show.
In 2021, CBS Mornings moved in across the street from GMA, meaning that when the ABC program exits, CBS will have the inside track on midtown.
Still, according to sources close to the show, even after the move, Good Morning America will continue to send producers out to other parts of the city.
A Sign That Disney Won’t Sell ABC?
With rumors swirling that Disney CEO Bob Iger could be looking to unload ABC, many Good Morning America staffers see the move to Hudson Square as indicative that ABC may, in fact, be in the company’s long-term plans.
“‘Good Morning America’ is defined by the strength of our team in front of and behind the camera, quality of our reporting, and the long, trusted relationship with our viewers,” ABC News said in a statement. “Moving all ABC News teams to our new state-of-the-art building was a strategic decision that will allow for more collaboration and innovation.”
While Good Morning America has topped Today in overall viewers, the NBC program has led in the 25 to 54 demographic. ABC is hoping that the new move, combined with the inroads that GMA has made in recent years, will lead to Good Morning America reigning supreme.
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