Yes—The Today Show does air on the West Coast, starting at 4:00 AM PT (three hours behind the East Coast), with the first segment delayed by five minutes as of 2026.
Geographic Context
The Today Show airs live from New York City at 7:00 AM ET, reaching West Coast viewers at 4:00 AM PT due to the three-hour time difference.
Four time zones mean four different wake-up times. Eastern viewers catch the show at 7:00 AM, while Pacific viewers are still in dreamland at 4:00 AM. NBC’s signal moves at light speed via satellite, but West Coast folks get a slightly delayed version. Picture this: New Yorkers sip coffee at sunrise while Los Angeles viewers get the same show at 1:00 AM their time. (Yes, it’s as weird as it sounds.)
Key Details
The Today Show starts at 4:00 AM PT on weekdays, with a five-minute delay for the first segment to align with local news transitions.
| Time Zone | Live Broadcast Time | Tape Delay |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | None |
| Central (CT) | 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM | None |
| Mountain (MT) | 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM | 1-hour delay |
| Pacific (PT) | 4:00 AM – 7:00 AM | 3-hour delay |
Weekend editions don’t play favorites. Saturday and Sunday broadcasts kick off at 7:00 AM ET sharp. That five-minute West Coast lag? It’s a holdover from the days when TV needed to sync up local news breaks. So yes, some viewers are chugging coffee at 4:00 AM to catch the opening segment. (Honestly, who has that kind of energy before dawn?)
