’60 Minutes’ Scores Biggest Ratings Since March: Is Bari Weiss Revamp Working?

60 Minutes hit a new high on Sunday (October 4), drawing its largest audience of the season so far and its biggest total viewership since March 29, 2026.

According to TheWrap, citing Nielsen big data plus panel ratings, the October 4 edition of 60 Minutes scored 10.2 million total viewers and 2 million viewers in the coveted Adults 25054 demographic. The show was up significantly from the first two episodes of the season and also up 1 percent from last year’s third-week episode.

The CBS news magazine program had its biggest total audience since March 29, which had a lead-in from March Madness football. This past Sunday’s episode also had an NFL lead-in, with the Chiefs-Raiders game helping boost the show to its best numbers of the season so far.

Its 2 million viewers in the key demo was also the show’s biggest audience since December 2025. This landed 60 Minutes in the No. 1 spot for the day in Adults 25-54. It also ranked No. 1 in total viewers and adults over 18 and as the top non-sports primetime program in both total viewers and adults over 18.

Sunday’s episode included a report from Jon Wertheim on artificial intelligence and the workforce, plus an interview with Republican Sen. Thom Tillis about his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents.

The latest numbers are a big turnaround from the first two episodes of the season. The season premiere drew 7.94 million viewers, down 21 percent from last season’s premiere and the smallest premiere since at least 2000. Episode 2 dropped to 6.77 million viewers, down 15 percent from the season premiere.

This came amid months of behind-the-scenes turmoil and staff changes at the long-running news program. Earlier this year, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss fired several producers and on-air reporters, including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley.

The New York Post reported that Skydance CEO David Ellison is closely watching Weiss and 60 Minutes‘ ratings amid the recent Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The outlet claims Ellison could possibly change Weiss’ role, including narrowing her focus to editorial matters.