WASHINGTON, DC – August 16, 2012 – "Meet the Press" was the top-rated Sunday morning public affairs hour for the week ending August 12, 2012, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The NBC program attracted 3.150 million total viewers, leading “This Week” by +32% (+766,000), the “Face the Nation” hour by +67% (+1,259,000), and “FOX News Sunday” by +199% (+2,095,000). NOTE: “Meet the Press” had a lower national coverage (91%) and aired live across the network at 9AM Eastern/6AM Pacific due to the London Olympics.

This represents the NBC program’s biggest total viewer audience since March 4, 2012 and its best ever advantage over “Face the Nation’s” hour-long broadcast. “Meet the Press” delivered an additional 604,000 total viewers and 289,000 A25-54 viewers with a rebroadcast on MSNBC.

In Washington, D.C., "Meet the Press" averaged 130,000 total viewers (4.4/13 HH), beating the combined competition with +210% more than the “Face the Nation” hour’s 42,000 viewers (1.5/4 HH), +271% over “This Week’s” 35,000 viewers (1.3/4 HH), +306% more than “FOX News Sunday’s” 32,000 viewers (1.1/3 HH).

In homes nationally, the NBC broadcast delivered a 2.4 rating and 7 share, ahead of ABC’s 1.7/5, CBS hour’s 1.5/4, and FOX’s 0.8/2. In homes, “Meet the Press” beat “This Week” by +41%, the “Face the Nation” hour by +60%, and “FOX News Sunday” by +200%.

Among adults 25-54, the NBC Sunday morning program averaged 1,282,000 viewers, outperforming “This Week” by +94% (+622,000), the “Face the Nation” hour by +170% (+807,000), and “FOX News Sunday” by +169% (+805,000). For the week ending August 12, 2012, in rating A25-54 "Meet the Press" outperformed “This Week” by +120% (+6 tenths) while leading both the “Face the Nation” hour and “FOX News Sunday” by +175% (+7 tenths). “Meet the Press” posted its best deliveries in rating M/A25-54 and biggest lead over “This Week” in rating A25-54 since January 8, 2012.

Compared to its last broadcast (7/22/12), “Meet the Press” was up strongly in homes (+41%), total viewers (+37%, or +857,000), rating W/M/A18-49 (+20%/+125%/+60%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+29%/+100%/+57%). “Meet the Press” grew in homes (+4%), rating W/M/A18-49 (+20%/+50%/+33%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+29%/+50%/+38%) versus the same telecast last season. Compared to its 3Q’12-to-date average, “Meet the Press” was up by double-digits across-the-board in homes (+33%), total viewers (+30%, or +727,000), rating W/M/A25-54 (+50%/+80%/+60%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+50%/+71%/+57%). “Meet the Press” also posted across-the-board growth versus season-to-date levels in homes (+9%), total viewers (+7%, or +208,000), rating W/M/A18-49 (+20%/+80%/+60%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+29%/+50%/+57%). This season, “Meet the Press” is outperforming the “Face the Nation” hour’s average by +22% (+528,000) in total viewers and +24% (+175,000) in A25-54 (000). “Meet the Press” maintains its leads over This Week by +25% (+595,000) in total viewers and +22% (+163,000) in A25-54 (000).

Sunday’s special edition of “Meet the Press with David Gregory” featured an in-depth look at Mitt Romney’s vice presidential pick, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), including exclusive interviews with RNC chairman Reince Priebus and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R); an interview with Obama campaign senior political strategist David Axelrod; a roundtable conversation with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow; NBC’s Chief White House Correspondent and Political Director Chuck Todd; National Review editor Rich Lowry; the Washington Post’s Dan Balz, and author and radio talk show host Bill Bennett; as well as a live update from the Romney/Ryan bus tour from NBC’s Peter Alexander.

David Gregory is the moderator of "Meet the Press." Betsy Fischer Martin is the executive producer, Adam Verdugo is the senior producer, and Chris Donovan and Ilana Marcus Drimmer are producers.

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