Chuck Todd Hosts the No. 1 Public Affairs Show on Television

It’s official: Chuck Todd has helped elevate Meet the Press to the status of TV’s No. 1 Sunday public affairs show across all measurements.

“The longest-running show in television history” (4 months older than CBS Evening News) posted +2 percent growth in total viewers, and perhaps more impressively +8 percent growth among adults 25-54 from the 2015-2016 season.

CBS’s Face the Nation with John Dickerson slipped to No. 2 among total viewers, and was -1 percent versus 2015-2016 season. FTN finished No. 3 among adults 25-54, and was -5 percent in the category from 2015-2016.

ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos posted a +1 percent increase in total viewers from last season, and drew its largest overall audience since the 1998-1999 season. That said, the program was -3 percent in the A25-54 demo from last season.

Fox News Sunday moderated by Chris Wallace had a solid season in its own right. The program held steady in total viewers, but posted +4 percent growth among adults 25-54 versus 2015-2016.

Numbers for the 2016-2017 season:

Sept. 24, 2017:

Meet the Press was the No. 1 Sunday show on Sept. 24, and also posted double digit increases versus the comparable Sunday in 2016 (Sept. 25): +11 percent in total viewers and +16 percent in the key A25-54 demo.

This Week moved past Face the Nation on Sept. 24, both in total viewers and in the key demo. ABC’s Sunday public affairs show posted +2 percent improvement in total viewers, but was -3 percent in the demo versus last year.

FTN finished No. 3 overall, -7 percent in total viewers and -21 percent in the demo versus last year. Due to the NFL, Face the Nation was retitled to “Face-Nation,” and that broadcast is excluded from the season averages.

Fox News Sunday had a strong week compared to last year, particularly among adults 25-54 (+17 percent). The program grew +.5 percent in total viewers as well. FNS’s trio of cable replays delivered a combined 2.32 million total viewers and 523,000 adults 25-54. Combined with the FOX broadcast, Fox News Sunday delivered 3.77 million total viewers and 1.01 million A25-54.

Last, but never least, Univision’s Al Punto hosted by Jorge Ramos posted -2 percent loss in total audience, but +5 percent growth among adults 25-54 versus the same Sunday in 2016.

The numbers for September 24 :

Q3 2017:

Meet the Press also happened to be the No. 1 Sunday political show for the third quarter of 2017 across-the-board.

Face the Nation finished No. 2 in total viewers, and No. 3 in the key A25-54 demo.

This Week finished No. 3 in total viewers, but No. 2 in the key demo.

The numbers for Q3 2017 :