“MEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD” IS #1 MOST-WATCHED SUNDAY SHOW ACROSS THE BOARD

#1 in Key Demo for 38th Straight Broadcast – Best Streak in Over 18 Years

Tops ABC by Double-Digits in All Categories

Grows Week Over Week Across the Board

OCTOBER 23, 2018 – Meet the Press with Chuck Todd (MTP) was the #1 most-watched Sunday show across the board this past Sunday, October 21, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

Sunday’s broadcast featured exclusive interviews with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) who said that the U.S. needs to “expel” the Saudi ambassador. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci also joined the broadcast in his first television interview to discuss his new book, “Trump, the Blue-Collar President.”

3.502 million total viewers tuned in to the Sunday program, topping ABC’s This Week by double-digits: +21 percent (+606,000) more than ABC. This marks the broadcast’s 20th straight win over ABC. Compared to last week, MTP grew by +18 percent (532,000), marking a six-week high in total viewership (since September 9, 2019) and more than doubled its lead over ABC (+606,000 vs. +271,000 last week), posting its best advantage over ABC in nine weeks (since August 19, 2018). Compared to last year, MTP grew by +14 percent (+417,000), while ABC was up just one percent. Year over year, MTP nearly tripled its lead over ABC (+606,000 vs. +210,000 last year).

MTP also won in the demo most valued by news advertisers for its 38th straight broadcast, again beating ABC by double-digits. 853,000 A25-54 demo viewers tuned into the Sunday program: +31 percent (+203,000) more than ABC. This is the broadcast’s best streak in over 18 years (since October 15, 2000). Compared to last year, MTP improved its advantage over ABC by 4.5X (+203,000 vs. +45,000 last year). Compared to last week, MTP grew by two percent (+20,000), posting its second straight week of growth and a six-week high in demo viewership (since September 9, 2018).

Season-to-date, MTP is the #1 most-watched Sunday show in the key demo for the third consecutive year.

MTP continues to dominate the influential Washington, D.C. market, outperforming its competition across the board and winning every Sunday with total viewers for more than three straight years (since March 22, 2015).

An additional 1.013 million total viewers and 313,000 A25-54 viewers watched the Sunday program through rebroadcasts on NBC and MSNBC.

Earlier this month, MTP held its second Meet the Press Film Festival in Collaboration with the American Film Institute (AFI) in Washington, D.C. Watch the short-length political documentaries online or on-demand now until November 4.

Tune in to MSNBC’s MTP Daily weekdays at 5 p.m. for more from moderator Chuck Todd, and follow the broadcast on Facebook and on Twitter for the latest.

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NATIONAL AVERAGES – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018

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For more information contact:

Joya Manasseh
NBC News
o: (212) 664-2498
c: (917) 587-1284
e: joya.manasseh@nbcuni.com

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MEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD

Meet the Press with Chuck Todd is where newsmakers come to make news — setting the political agenda and spotlighting the impact Washington decision-making has on Americans across the country. It is the #1 most-watched Sunday public affairs show for the 2017-2018 season, reaching more than three million viewers every Sunday and millions more through social, digital and on-demand platforms. Meet the Press brings its authority and influencer interviews to MSNBC with MTP Daily weekdays at 5 p.m. ET and to the 1947: The Meet the Press Podcast. It’s the longest-running show in television history, recently expanding its brand to include a political short-documentary film festival in collaboration with the American Film Institute. Chuck Todd is the political director of NBC News and the moderator of Meet the Press; John Reiss is the executive producer.