The refurbished “60 Minutes” suffered double-digit ratings declines with its Season 59 premiere.
Sunday’s episode brought in 7.7 million viewers on CBS, down 19% from last season’s premiere, according to preliminary Nielsen panel data provided to TheWrap. The broadcast drew 1.5 million viewers among adults ages 25–54, a steeper 33% year-over-year decline in the key demographic.
The figures are subject to change when Nielsen releases final ratings after 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The newest season of the CBS newsmagazine had been highly anticipated after CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and her newly appointed “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton overhauled the program over the past few months.
Sunday’s premiere followed NFL coverage that drew approximately 18.4 million viewers, according to preliminary data. That was down roughly 22% from the 23.8 million viewers delivered by the NFL broadcast preceding last season’s premiere —a slightly steeper decline than the 19% year-over-year drop for “60 Minutes.”
The episode led with Norah O’Donnell’s interview with a U.S. Air Force weapons systems officer who survived roughly 50 hours behind enemy lines after his F-15E was shot down over Iran. The White House promoted the segment Monday as a testament to President Donald Trump’s military agenda.
More to come …