Highest Total Viewership in Over 11 Years
Up by Double Digits Across the Board Week Over Week and Year Over Year
Tops Competition by Double Digits in Key Demo
March 17, 2020 – This past Sunday’s special edition of Meet the Press with Chuck Todd (MTP) focusing on the coronavirus outbreak was the #1 most-watched Sunday show across the board and marked MTP’s highest total viewership in over 11 years (since January 4, 2009), according to Nielsen Media Research.
Sunday’s special broadcast featured interviews with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Governors Mike Dewine (R-Ohio) and J. B. Pritzker (D-Ill.), president of Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Peter Slavin and president of UCLA Health Johnese Spisso.
MTP was up by double digits across the board week over week and year over year. Sunday’s show averaged 4.657 million total viewers: +28 percent (+1.023 million) more than ABC’s This Week and seven percent (+304,000) more than CBS’ Face the Nation. This marks MTP’s best total viewer advantage over ABC in over two years (since February 4, 2018). Compared to last Sunday, MTP was up +46 percent (+1.461 million) and compared to the same Sunday last year, MTP was up +35 percent (+1.201 million).
MTP also won in the demo most valued by news advertisers, topping both ABC and CBS by double-digits. MTP was the only Sunday public affairs program to average over one million key demo viewers. 1.245 million A25-54 key demo viewers tuned into the Sunday program: +38 percent (+346,000) more than ABC and +30 percent (+285,000) more than CBS. This marks MTP’s highest A25-54 viewer delivery in 88 weeks (since February 18, 2018) and best demo advantage over ABC in over a year (since January 20, 2019) and over CBS in 37 weeks (since June 23, 2019). Compared to last Sunday, MTP was up +46 percent (+391,000) and compared to the same Sunday last year, MTP was up +46 percent (+390,000).
Season-to-date, MTP is the #1 most-watched Sunday show across the board. MTP continues to dominate the influential Washington, D.C. market, topping competition combined across the board and winning every Sunday with total viewers in almost five years (since March 22, 2015).
An additional 952,000 total viewers and 220,000 A25-54 viewers watched the Sunday program through rebroadcasts on NBC and MSNBC.
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, MARCH 15, 2020
| Show Name | Net | Duration (minutes) | Total Viewers | A25-54 Viewers |
| MEET THE PRESS | NBC | 50 | 4,657 | 1,245 |
| FACE THE NATION HALF-HOUR | CBS | 30 | 4,354 | 960 |
| FACE THE NATION HOUR | CBS | 60 | 3,843 | 857 |
| THIS WEEK | ABC | 34 | 3,635 | 899 |
| FOX NEWS SUNDAY | FOX | 60 | 1,635 | 493 |
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