The trouble for Megyn Kelly Today and NBC News is getting worse.

From the start, Megyn Kelly Today’s Nielsen ratings have been down compared to the third hour of Today, which was cohosted by Al Roker and Tamron Hall last fall. Despite a huge marketing push for Megyn Kelly Today, the show was down 12% in total viewers in Week 1 (2.9 million for Roker and Hall versus 2.5 million for Kelly), 24% in Week 2 (2.9 million versus 2.2 million), and 23% in Week 3 (2.9 million versus 2.3 million). Worse are Kelly’s ratings in the key demographic for news, adults 25 to 54: Week 1, down 25%; Week 2, down 38%; Week 3, down 33%. (Oct. 9 was Columbus Day, during which daytime shows traditionally get a bump, and Kelly drew a .8 in the 25-to-54 demo that day, tying her highest rating since the show’s premiere. For the rest of the week, she drew .5s and .6s.)

The ultimate aim of Megyn Kelly Today was to challenge Live With Kelly and Ryan, which is syndicated by ABC, but the contest is not even close. In Megyn Kelly Today’s first week, Live beat it by 14% among viewers and 17% in the 25-to-54 demographic. In the second week, the gap widened, with Live besting Megyn Kelly Today by 34% among viewers and 60% in the demo. (Syndicated shows have a one-week lag in delivering ratings, so Week 3 comparisons are not yet available.)