Home / Arts and Entertainment / 60 Minutes Viewership Dips Amidst Football Clashes
60 Minutes Viewership Dips Amidst Football Clashes
15 Sep
Summary
- Premiere viewership dropped 21% from last year due to football delays.
- Key demographics saw a 33% decline in viewers compared to last year.
- The show featured a new correspondent and stories on Iran rescue and pardons.
The recent season premiere of 60 Minutes drew 7.94 million viewers, marking a 21% decrease compared to the debut episode of the prior season. This decline occurred despite the program's status as a top-rated network show and significant anticipation following changes implemented last spring.
The viewership figures were impacted by Sunday afternoon football coverage delays. The Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers game on CBS pushed back the broadcast in eastern and central time zones. This NFL lead-in itself saw a 21% decrease in average viewership, attracting 18.6 million.
Further competition arose from Fox's and NBC's NFL telecasts. The initial quarter of 60 Minutes captured 9.4 million viewers, but this figure fell to 6.7 million by the final quarter. In the crucial 25-54 demographic, the premiere averaged 1.58 million viewers, a 33% drop from the previous year's debut.
CBS News expressed pride in the journalism presented, highlighting an exclusive interview with an airman rescued from Iran. The episode also covered brokers securing pardons for clients from Donald Trump and featured a profile of the Los Angeles Rams. The broadcast included a new correspondent and updated graphics following last spring's executive producer change and correspondent dismissals.
