60 Minutes opens post-overhaul era down on TV, up online

60 Minutes started its new chapter with 7.94 million TV viewers and a much bigger crowd online.

The Season 59 premiere aired on Sept. 13 on CBS and averaged 7.94 million on-air viewers, according to Nielsen. That is down about 21 percent from the Season 58 premiere, which drew 10.03 million viewers on Sept. 28, 2025, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

It was the first broadcast since CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss overhauled the newsmagazine. Several veteran correspondents and producers left in the shake-up. New executive producer Nick Bilton arrived with several new correspondents and contributors.

On screen, the change was quiet. Lesley Stahl and Norah O'Donnell led the hour. Former New York Times columnist Ross Douthat was the only new on-air staffer with significant screen time.

Football shaped the night. 60 Minutes had an NFL lead-in, meaning the game shown just before it, across most of the country. The CBS late-afternoon game, Green Bay Packers against Minnesota Vikings for most viewers, averaged 18.6 million viewers.

That lead-in was down about 22 percent from the game before last year's premiere, which had 23.77 million viewers. The calendar is part of the story. Last year's premiere aired in week four of the NFL season. This year's aired in week one.

Week one also had more competition for football eyes. For the first time since 2023, both CBS and Fox scheduled late-afternoon doubleheaders on opening Sunday, splitting the national audience. CBS's late-afternoon game in week one last year averaged 23.89 million viewers.

CBS News points to phones and laptops. The network says video views on 60 Minutes social platforms, not including YouTube, totalled 116.7 million for the premiere. That triples last year's premiere. YouTube watch time more than doubled year on year.

The show entered this transition from strength. The full season completed before the overhaul finished up 9 percent on the year before. Ahead of the Sept. 13 launch, Bilton and Weiss sent a staff memo congratulating the team on an exciting season.

For viewers, this means the Sunday slot looks familiar for now, with the ratings test spread across TV and social through the football season.