"Face the Nation" ends TV season as most-watched Sunday morning public affairs show on May 17

Washington - CBS News' FACE THE NATION ended the 2019-2020 television season as the most watched Sunday morning public affairs show, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Sunday, May 17. FACE THE NATION delivered 3.86 million total viewers and 774,000 in adults 25-54, the demographic most important to those who advertise in news. 

In both categories, FACE THE NATION grew +34% year-to-year and posted the largest percentage gains among all Sunday morning public affairs shows. 

For the 2019-2020 television season, FACE THE NATION delivered its best audience in three years (3.46 million) and was up +6% from last season, the most among the Sunday shows. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic (March 16-May 17), FACE THE NATION delivered its largest audience ever dating to the 1987-1988 season and the largest audience in adults 24-54 since the 2008-2009 comparable periods. 

The May 17 broadcast featured FACE THE NATION moderator Margaret Brennan's interviews with Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; former director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn; former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb; and CEO of Feeding America Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. Watch Sunday's broadcast here. 

Editor's Note: FACE THE NATION's second half-hour was broadcast contiguously across 91.026% of the CBS affiliates.  

Mary Hager is the executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning FACE THE NATION, one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television. 

Get more FACE THE NATION online at CBSNews.com and follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Press contact: 

Hugo Rojo

(202) 457-4392  

rojoh@cbsnews.com