60 Minutes Premiere Hits 25-Year Low in Ratings

The season premiere of "60 Minutes" on Sunday drew its lowest-rated season opener in at least 25 years, according to preliminary Nielsen data. The broadcast, which marked the first full season under CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss, attracted an estimated 7.7 to 7.9 million viewers, a decline of 19% to 21% from the previous year's premiere. The figures, which are subject to change when Nielsen releases final ratings Tuesday afternoon, represent the smallest premiere audience for the storied newsmagazine since at least 2000. The drop was particularly steep in the key 25-to-54 demographic, where viewership fell 33% year-over-year. The premiere followed an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers that drew approximately 18.4 million viewers, itself down about 22% from the comparable broadcast window last year. The weaker football lead-in is cited by multiple sources as a primary factor in the ratings decline. CBS also faced competition this year from a Fox late-afternoon NFL game, whereas last year's premiere followed a sole CBS window. The episode was the first major test for the revamped program following a significant staff overhaul.