What does the drop in viewers for the “60 Minutes” season premiere mean for CBS News’ top editor, Bari Weiss? A look at the granular ratings data provides some clues.
Viewership for the first “60 Minutes” episode led by new producer Nick Bilton, who was handpicked by Weiss in May, fell 20% from 2025’s season debut. An average of just under 8 million people watched the newscast, versus over 10 million last September.
The question: Did people start watching and then give up, or did they simply not switch the program on in the first place?
Data from Nielsen shows it was the latter. “60 Minutes” retained its audience for Sunday’s opener at a rate similar to last fall’s debut, according to data obtained by Business Insider.
The audience for Sunday’s broadcast shrank 7.6% after the first 15 minutes, compared to 17% for last year’s season debut. Each premiere lost about 47% of its audience from start to finish, the data shows.
Bilton’s debut episode featured interviews with the US Air Force pilot who got shot down in Iran, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, and the “pardon brokers” who persuade wealthy clients to hire them based on a supposed skill at securing presidential pardons.
It’s common for TV shows to lose viewers over the course of an episode, especially news programs like “60 Minutes.”
The takeaway for Weiss and crew: The audience didn’t revolt after sampling the new-look season. The problem is that they didn’t want to watch it.
So, what’s going on?
There are a few potential factors, and the ratings for the rest of the season will give the media world more insight.
First, “60 Minutes” has undergone high-profile — and high-drama — changes under Bilton and Weiss, from new graphics to the dramatic departure of four correspondents: Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Anderson Cooper.
CBS fired Pelley, who grilled his new boss in front of his colleagues about his qualifications, personnel moves, and what he described as Weiss’ “murdering” the “60 Minutes” program.
Several former CBS News and “60 Minutes” staffers have accused Weiss of being politically biased, which the former New York Times editor has denied.
One theory is that audiences stayed away because of the controversies.
Then there’s the other big issue: The NFL.
The NFL can assist “60 Minutes” by providing a lead-in from the Sunday afternoon games, though the boost wasn’t as strong this year.
Viewership for the NFL window leading into Sunday’s “60 Minutes” debut, featuring the Minnesota Vikings vs the Green Bay Packers for most of the country, was down over 20% from the comparable game last year — a marquee matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs.
CBS highlighted viewership of “60 Minutes” clips online and across social media, which it said generated about three times the reach of last year’s premiere.
The rest of the “60 Minutes” season will show if Weiss and Bilton can claw back those TV viewers, or whether their problems are a lot bigger than the NFL.
