Ranks #1 Sunday Show Among Both Key A25-54 and A18-49 Demos
#1 in the Key Demo Season-to-Date
August 5, 2026 – Meet the Press with Kristen Welker was ranked the #1 Sunday public affairs show for key A25-54 and A18-49 demo viewers this past Sunday, August 2, according to Nielsen.
Meet the Press averaged 367,000 A25-54 viewers, leading ABC by +57,000 (+18%) and CBS by +92,000 (+33%). Meet the Press has outperformed CBS — which continues to rate for just 30 minutes of its hour-long broadcast — for the fifth consecutive week. Additionally, compared to last week, Meet the Press more than tripled its A25-54 lead vs. ABC (+57,000) and more than doubled its A25-54 lead vs. CBS (+92,000).
Meet the Press averaged 278,000 A18-49 viewers, increasing its demo viewership and leading ABC by +63,000 (+29%) and CBS by +78,000 (+39%).
Meet the Press averaged 2.408 million total viewers this Sunday. For the 2024-25 broadcast season, Meet the Press was the #1 Sunday public affairs show among key A25-54 demo viewers and ranks #1 season-to-date for the 2025-26 season. Meet the Press increased its total viewers this week and has also never lost a month in the Washington, D.C. market among total viewers.
Sunday’s broadcast featured interviews from NBC News’ “Common Ground” town hall at the National Governors Association’s Summer meeting in Oklahoma City, as part of NBC News’ “Common Ground” franchise showcasing bipartisan interviews. Kristen moderated four bipartisan panels with Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) and Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) on dignity in politics, Gov. Josh Stein (D-N.C.) and Gov. Phil Scott (R-Vt.) on federalism and states’ rights, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) and Matt Meyer (D-Del.) on keeping the American dream alive and Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Spencer Cox (R-Utah) on education and technology. Sunday’s broadcast also featured exclusive interviews with Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
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NATIONAL AVERAGES – AUGUST 2, 2026
| Show Name | Network | Duration (minutes) | Total Viewers | A25-54 Viewers | A18-49 Viewers |
| MEET THE PRESS | NBC | 49 | 2,408 | 367 | 278 |
| FACE THE NATION HALF-HOUR | CBS | 30 | 2,519 | 275 | 200 |
| FACE THE NATION HOUR | CBS | 60 | 2,289 | 246 | 186 |
| THIS WEEK | ABC | 48 | 2,422 | 310 | 215 |
| FOX NEWS SUNDAY | FOX | 60 | 808 | 114 | 76 |
MEET THE PRESS WITH KRISTEN WELKER
Meet the Press with Kristen Welker is the premiere destination for original political reporting and interviews with the leaders that shape each week’s headlines. Moderated by Kristen Welker, the veteran NBC News chief White House correspondent and the first journalist of color to moderate a Sunday public affairs program, Meet the Press has set the political agenda and highlighted the everyday impact of Washington decision-making on viewers all over the country for more than 75 years. It reaches millions of viewers every Sunday and millions more through social, digital and on-demand platforms. Meet the Press also brings its signature analysis and newsmaker interviews to streaming audiences with Meet the Press NOW at 4 p.m. on weekdays on NBC News NOW. Kristen Welker is the 13th moderator of Meet the Press, David P. Gelles is executive producer of Meet the Press, and Melissa Frankel is executive producer of Meet the Press NOW.
