If it’s Sunday in 2018, it’s usually a ratings win for Meet the Press.
The longest running show on TV won the week in total viewers for the 11th consecutive broadcast (3.55 million total viewers), which is +10 percent more than CBS’ Face the Nation, and +19 percent more than ABC’s This Week.
MTP also won in the demo most valued by news advertisers for its 33rd straight broadcast (912,000 A25-54), topping ABC by +28 percent and CBS by +24 percent.
Sunday’s broadcast featured interviews with counselor to President Trump, Kellyanne Conway and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) who told Todd that “there’s just way too much drama every day” in the White House, adding it’s “a reality-show, soap-opera presidency.” The broadcast also featured an exclusive interview with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
Meet the Press was pre-empted on the same Sunday in 2017 (Sept. 10) due to coverage of Hurricane Irma.
CBS’ Face the Nation moderated by Margaret Brennan delivered year-over-year total audience growth this past week (+3 percent), and snagged a second place finish on what was the moderator’s due date. Brennan will go on maternity leave for the next few months, with former FTN moderator John Dickerson pinch hitting in the interim.
ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos came in third place this past Sunday, but still managed to draw its largest total audience in 4 months (2.99 million viewers). With Meet the Press on the air this past week (which was not the case on this Sunday last year, as mentioned above), ABC predictably posted double digit year-over-year audience losses. Nevertheless, the ABC Sunday show is beating its CBS competition in A25-54 for the 3rd season in a row, increasing its lead compared to its lead last season in the process, and its executive producer/ABC News Washington Bureau Chief Jonathan Greenberger was also honored by Adweek as a “DC Brand Star.” Not too shabby.
Fox News Sunday hosted by Chris Wallace on FOX posted 1.371 million total viewers. The broadcast’s trio of cable replays later that day delivered a combined 2.22 million total viewers, and 429,000 A25-54 viewers. Combined with the first-run broadcast, the Sept. 9 edition of FNS delivered 3.59 million total viewers and 812,000 A25-54 viewers.
The broadcast included an interview with VP Mike Pence.
The numbers for Sept. 9:
| Network | Program | Total Viewers | A25-54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBC | Meet the Press | 3,547,000 | 912,000 |
| CBS | Face the Nation | 3,236,000 | 738,000 |
| ABC |
This Week | 2,992,000 | 714,000 |
| FOX | Fox News Sunday | 1,371,000 | 383,000 |
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI (Total Viewers and Adults 25-54); Live + SD for 9/9/18, and 9/10/17 or as dated. Season-to-Date: Most Current: 2017-2018 Season (9/25/17 – 9/9/18) and 2016-2017 Season (9/19/16 – 9/10/17). Averages based on regular telecasts.