‘Today’ viewership surges as anchor Savannah Guthrie’s mom remains missing
Nancy was abducted from her Arizona home nearly two weeks ago. savannahguthrie/Instagram
Viewership for NBC’s “Today” show has surged as audiences follow updates surrounding anchor Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, who has been missing from her Arizona home for nearly two weeks.
According to Variety, citing Nielsen data, the program’s audience rose 23% last week compared to the same period a year ago, gaining an additional 624,000 viewers. Guthrie has been absent from the broadcast since her mother disappeared from her Tucson residence on Jan. 31.
Between Feb. 2 and Feb. 6, “Today” averaged about 3.32 million viewers, outperforming ABC’s “Good Morning America,” which drew roughly 2.91 million, and CBS’s “CBS Mornings,” which averaged 1.84 million. The NBC show captured 41% of the morning audience and led competitors both overall and among viewers aged 25 to 54.
Nancy was last seen around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 31 when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at her home after dinner with his wife, Annie, Guthrie’s sister. She was reported missing the following day after she did not attend church, prompting police to open a criminal investigation.
Authorities have not identified any suspects. Investigators believe the elderly woman may have been forcibly taken from her home, where a trail of blood was reportedly found.
On Tuesday, the FBI released surveillance footage showing a man wearing black gloves, a ski mask, and a holstered firearm damaging the security camera at her front door. During an extensive search of the neighborhood, federal agents recovered a black glove. Separately, a note was sent to TMZ on Wednesday demanding a Bitcoin payment in exchange for information related to the case..
TMZ reported that the $67,000 payment was requested in return for the “name of the individual involved.” The letter — described as the third such message since Nancy’s disappearance — included details of a functioning Bitcoin address, according to TMZ host Harvey Levin during an appearance on Fox News’ “America Newsroom.”
Those claiming responsibility for the abduction have reportedly demanded millions of dollars in cryptocurrency and set a deadline of Monday, Feb. 9. Investigators say the messages have not included proof that Nancy is alive or provided any further verifiable information.
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