60 Minutes drew 10.2 million viewers thanks to NFL lead-in
- CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” drew 10.2 million viewers for its Oct.
- The ratings surge arrived directly on the heels of a National Football League broadcast featuring the Chiefs and the Raiders.
- By comparison, the show's fall season opened on CBS with 7.94 million viewers, marking a 21% drop from the previous season's premiere and the program's smallest season-opening audience...
CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” drew 10.2 million viewers for its Oct. 4 episode, rebounding sharply from early-season lows on the strength of an NFL lead-in. That total audience figure, captured by Nielsen big data plus panel ratings, represents a 1% increase over last year’s Week 3 episode and marks the program’s largest total viewership since March 29 following March Madness.
How the NFL Lead-In Drove Viewership
The ratings surge arrived directly on the heels of a National Football League broadcast featuring the Chiefs and the Raiders. That game led straight into the newsmagazine’s time slot, providing a massive built-in audience that lifted numbers across multiple demographics. The program tallied 2 million viewers in the key demographic among adults aged 25 to 54, reaching its highest mark in that group since December 2025.
By comparison, the show’s fall season opened on CBS with 7.94 million viewers, marking a 21% drop from the previous season’s premiere and the program’s smallest season-opening audience since at least 2000. Episode 2 fell another 15% from the premiere to pull in 6.77 million viewers when it aired without the benefit of an NFL lead-in.
Oct. 4 Broadcast Becomes Top Ranked News Program
The Oct. 4 broadcast featured Jon Wertheim reporting on artificial intelligence and the workforce alongside Ross Douthat interviewing Republican Senator Thom Tillis regarding his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents.
The performance pushed the program to become the day’s top-ranked news program across total viewers, adults over 18, and adults aged 25 to 54. It also marked the third time this season that the show ranked as the top non-sports primetime program in total viewers and adults over 18.
Elsewhere across the network, the “CBS Evening News” averaged 4.2 million total viewers and 585,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic. Demographic viewership for the evening broadcast grew 46% over the same week last year, marking the program’s largest year-over-year growth since 2006.