Big Data, Big Win: Meet the Press Increases its Competitive Positions Across-the-Board
Ranks #1 in Both A25-54 and A18-49 Demos Season-to-Date
October 8, 2025 — Meet the Press with Kristen Welker was the #1 Sunday public affairs show among both A25-54 and A18-49 demo viewers this past Sunday, October 5, according to Nielsen. This week marks the first Sunday ratings using Nielsen’s Big Data measurement. The shift is a major evolution in television ratings, described by Nielsen as “providing the most-accurate TV measurement to date.”
Meet the Press averaged 371,000 key A25-54 demo viewers this past Sunday, leading ABC by +44,000 (+13%) and CBS by +97,000 (+35%). https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/shutdown-as-ratings-winner-for-network-sunday-shows-amid-major-data-shakeup-at-nielsen/This marks Meet the Press’s fourth consecutive week ranking #1 among key A25-54 demo viewers.
In addition, Meet the Press averaged 259,000 A18-49 demo viewers, leading ABC by +51,000 (+25%) and CBS by +51,000 (+24%). Compared to the prior week, Meet the Press greatly improved its A18-49 lead vs. CBS (+51,000 vs. +11,000 prior week). Meet the Press has outperformed ABC among A18-49 demo viewers for four consecutive weeks.
Meet the Press averaged 2.230 million total viewers this past Sunday. Season-to-date, Meet the Press is leading ABC among total viewers for the first time in five seasons. In addition, Meet the Press improved its competitive positions across-the-board this week vs. CBS.
Meet the Press was the #1 Sunday public affairs show among key A25-54 demo viewers for the 2024-25 broadcast season. Meet the Press has never lost a month in the Washington, D.C. market among total viewers.
Sunday’s broadcast featured interviews with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and exclusive interviews with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
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NATIONAL AVERAGES – OCTOBER 5, 2025
| Show Name | Network | Duration (minutes) | Total Viewers | A25-54 Viewers |
| MEET THE PRESS | NBC | 49 | 2,230 | 371 |
| FACE THE NATION HALF-HOUR | CBS | 30 | 2,436 | 274 |
| FACE THE NATION HOUR | CBS | 60 | 2,251 | 272 |
| THIS WEEK | ABC | 50 | 2,065 | 327 |
| FOX NEWS SUNDAY | FOX | 60 | 941 | 205 |
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.
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Emma Dulaney
