After a stretch in third place in the Sunday show ratings race, NBC’s Meet the Press with Chuck Todd climbed to the top spot on March 6 among adults 25-54. The longest-running program on American television averaged 632,000 viewers from the measurement, No. 1 overall, to go with 2.835 million total viewers, second-most behind CBS.
Speaking of CBS, Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan (half-hour) averaged 3.1 million total viewers this past Sunday, more than the competition. Not only is FTN the most-watched Sunday show on March 6, but it’s the most-watched Sunday show, season-to-date, for the third consecutive year. That said, Face the Nation continues to skew older than the Sunday competition and finished second this past Sunday among adults 25-54 behind NBC.
ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, which has experienced a superb season to-date, saw that momentum come to a halt on March 6. The broadcast finished third this past Sunday, both in adults 25-54 and in total viewers. Despite taking third place behind Face the Nation and Meet the Press, This Week is No. 1 season to-date among adults 25-54. ABC’s Sunday show hasn’t been No. 1 in the key demo this late in a broadcast season in 28 years—since the 1993-94 season.
Fox News Sunday guest-moderated by Shannon Bream averaged 1.095 million total viewers and 278,000 A25-54 viewers on Fox TV. Fox News repeats delivered 1.83 million viewers and 322,000 adults 25-54. Altogether, that’s roughly 2.93 million total viewers and 580,000 adults 25-54 watching at some point on Sunday, March 6.
How did the broadcast’s four major Sunday shows perform relative to comparable weeks?
Not great. Versus the highly-rated Feb. 27 broadcast, Meet the Press shed -9% in total viewers and -3% in adults 25-54. Face the Nation shed -2% in total viewers and -1% in adults 25-54. This Week, which has had a great stretch, saw the most significant week-to-week losses, losing -19% in total viewers and -36% in adults 25-54 from the previous Sunday. Additionally, Fox News Sunday shed -18% in total viewers and -9% in adults 25-54.
March 6, 2022 Sunday Show Ratings (Nielsen live + same-day):
| Network | Program | Total Viewers | A25-54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS | Face the Nation (1/2 hr) | 3,100,000 | 549,000 |
| NBC | Meet the Press | 2,835,000 | 632,000 |
| ABC | This Week | 2,731,000 | 536,000 |
| Fox TV | Fox News Sunday | 1,095,000 | 278,000 |