60 Minutes has opened its 59th season with its smallest premiere audience since the 21st century began, and the drop comes at a moment of major change at the magazine. The season premiere drew 7.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen, marking a 21% decline from last year and the show’s lowest premiere of the era. The adult 25-54 demographic fell even harder, down 33%.
The Numbers
A new low was reached when the CBS newsmagazine’s premiere drew just 7.9 million total viewers, with 1.6 million falling within the key demographic. The show has not seen numbers this low since at least the start of this century, and this reportedly stands as the first time a 60 Minutes season opener has pulled in fewer than 9 million viewers.
| Metric | Premiere | Last Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total viewers | 7.9 million | Not stated |
| Adults 25-54 | 1.6 million | Not stated |
The show’s previous low came in 2020, when it returned with 9.7 million viewers and 2.6 million adults 25-54. This year’s premiere fell approximately 1.8 million viewers below that mark.
The Overhaul
Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, has been working to reshape the magazine over recent months. Among her changes was replacing executive producer Tanya Simon with Nick Bilton, the former New York Times technology columnist and documentary filmmaker. She also saw several prominent correspondents leave during that time.
Within CBS, the premiere served as a significant test of the magazine’s revamp, and its historically low ratings mean the outcome is being followed with particular attention.
What Explains It
A few reviewers pointed to Weiss’s alterations as the cause of the decline. However, the league’s own scheduling could share some of the blame. This season, CBS faced direct competition from a separate NFL broadcast on Fox just prior to the start of 60 Minutes, unlike what happened last year.
Before the debut, the Packers faced off against the Vikings, a matchup that attracted an audience of 18.4 million viewers. That number represents a decline of roughly 22%, when compared with the figure of 23.8 million who tuned in for the same teams a year earlier.
7.9 million viewers still represents a sizable audience in today’s TV landscape.
What It Means
A viewing figure of 7.9 million people is sizable by today’s norms. Yet the yearly slide — especially the sharp 33% dip in adults 25-54 — turns the premiere into a ratings low for one of television’s longest-running shows.
The findings from Weiss’s overhaul has become an early test of her tenure. The premiere’ are expected to increase the attention on her leadership.
Whether the decline was a single slip or a warning sign will become clear in the weeks ahead. At present, the magazine’s opening numbers stand as its weakest in recent memory.
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