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Ratings Success for “Meet the Press” Following Exclusive Interview with Zelenskyy
Kristen Welker’s recent interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has propelled “Meet the Press” to a notable ratings victory, as reported by TheWrap. The episode, aired on February 16, attracted a significant audience, solidifying its position as a leading public affairs program.
The installment of “Meet the Press” achieved the highest viewership among political talk shows that day, averaging 480,000 viewers in the critical demographic of adults aged 25-54, according to Nielsen data. This performance marked a 15% lead over ABC’s “This Week,” a 10% advantage over CBS’s “Face the Nation,” and an impressive 59% lead over Fox’s “Fox News Sunday.”
Notably, “Meet the Press” was the only Sunday show to experience a year-over-year increase in ratings, with its audience growing by 25%. This surge has further secured its status as the top-rated public affairs program in the 25-54 demographic, where it maintains an average of 477,000 viewers—outpacing ABC’s 416,000 and CBS’s 461,000.
In comparison to the same period last year, demo viewership for “Meet the Press” has risen by 5%, while competitors ABC and CBS have seen declines of 2% and 5% respectively.
In terms of total viewership, “Meet the Press” garnered an average of 2.64 million viewers this past Sunday, surpassing the 1.3 million viewers for “Fox News Sunday.” However, it remained slightly behind the 2.65 million viewers averaged by both “Face the Nation” and “This Week.”
The program has also emerged as a leader in digital viewership among Sunday public affairs broadcasts, with NBC News recently breaking records on TikTok, achieving over a billion views in January across its primary account.
During her interview, President Zelenskyy expressed concerns regarding Ukraine’s future without continued support from the United States, stating that the nation has a “low chance to survive” without such backing. He also mentioned counting on Donald Trump’s commitment to engage in good faith negotiations.
Zelenskyy’s interview is part of a series of high-profile conversations hosted by Welker, including a notable appearance by Trump shortly after his 2024 election victory, further amplifying the show’s prominence in political discourse.
Source
www.thewrap.com