Brief

‘60 Minutes’ audience falls 12% despite NFL lead‑in, CBS cites internal dispute

The show lost viewers while CBS executives debated a segment on Israeli settlers.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:20:45 GMT

Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’s "60 Minutes" attracted an average of 6.06 million viewers, according to Nielsen data, marking a 12% decline from the fourth episode of the previous season, Variety reported.

The episode’s ratings were also down nearly 41% from the prior week, which had benefited from a record‑setting NFL game aired before the newsmagazine. Competition from an NFL game on Fox and NBC’s pre‑game show, which began midway through the "60 Minutes" telecast, contributed to the dip.

Ratings among the 25‑to‑54 demographic fell about 19% from last season and 62% from the previous week’s numbers. The demographic, prized by advertisers, recorded an average of 767,000 viewers, compared with 946,000 a year earlier and 2.02 million the week before.

Variety said the ratings slump coincided with an internal dispute between longtime correspondent Lesley Stahl and CBS News Editor‑in‑Chief Bari Weiss over Stahl’s segment on Israeli settlers seeking to drive out Palestinians on the West Bank. A source familiar with the matter said the clash delayed promotion of the episode and angered Stahl, who defended her reporting late in production.

The article also noted recent personnel changes at the program, including Weiss’s replacement of executive producer Tanya Simon with journalist‑screenwriter Nick Bilton and the departure of several correspondents.

Key facts

The Sunday "60 Minutes" episode averaged 6.06 million viewers, a 12% decline from the prior season's fourth episode. (variety.com)
Ratings fell nearly 41% from the previous week, which had an NFL lead‑in boost. (variety.com)
The 25‑to‑54 demo dropped about 19% from last season and 62% from the prior week. (variety.com)
A dispute between Lesley Stahl and CBS News chief Bari Weiss over a segment on Israeli settlers delayed episode promotion. (variety.com)
CBS News recently replaced executive producer Tanya Simon with Nick Bilton and saw several correspondents leave. (variety.com)