60 Minutes ratings surge as blockbuster Patrick Clancy interview brings back audiences

CBS News’ “60 Minutes” drew just over 6.5 million viewers for the second episode of its new season Sunday, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings — slightly ahead of the comparable episode a year ago.The second episode of last season attracted 6.454 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.In the key 25-to-54 demographic, Sunday’s episode drew 1.1 million viewers, according to the preliminary stats — about 20% higher than the 917,000 viewers in the demo who watched the comparable second episode last season.CBS News has a lot riding on the ratings — all eyes are on “60 Minutes” after a tumultuous shakeup of the show’s staff that unfolded through the summer.This season is the first full one under the network’s Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who hired new executive producer Nick Bilton in May.Sunday’s audience was nevertheless down 18% from this season’s Sept.

13 premiere, which drew 7.935 million viewers in final Nielsen Big Data + Panel ratings.Viewership among adults 25 to 54 fell 30% from the premiere, according to the preliminary figures.The season debut was down from a year earlier, when the “60 Minutes” premiere drew 10.026 million viewers.That amounted to a 21% year-over-year decline in total viewers, while the 25-to-54 audience fell 33%.Unlike last week’s premiere, Sunday’s broadcast did not have a nationally televised NFL game as its direct lead-in.

The premiere followed an NFL audience of 18.4 million viewers.Sunday’s episode, which included a heavily promoted interview with Patrick Clancy, fell to 6.3 million total viewers and 956,000 adults 25 to 54 in its final quarter-hour, according to the preliminary Nielsen data.Fox’s “Best Medicine” and CBS’s “Big Brother” both drew larger audiences in the 25-to-54 demographic Sunday night.Final Nielsen ratings for the episode are expected later Tuesday.“60 Minutes” held onto more of its premiere audience than it did a year ago, according to the preliminary data....