TV Ratings: Oprah Interview Scores Big Win

Oprah’s interview of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry drew 17.137 million total viewers to CBS on Sunday, according to The Wrap citing preliminary Nielsen numbers.

That robust (preliminary) number is larger than Caitlyn Jenner’s sitdown with Diane Sawyer in 2015, which (preliminarily) averaged 16.9 million total viewers. In the key demo, however, the highly anticipated Jenner interview doubled this one, with a 5.2 rating vs. a 2.6.

That Jenner interview eventually had a final Live + Same Day audience of 17.146 million total viewers.

Sunday’s interview did not disappoint in terms of its payoff for fans of royal family gossip — or for the host network. The Oprah-Meghan-Harry interview aired from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Central. It was not live coast to coast.

The primetime interview had enough “tea” to satisfy Buckingham Palace. During the two-hour conversation, Markle told Oprah Winfrey that the royal family had concerns about (then-unborn) baby Archie’s skin color (Markle is half Black). The former “Suits” star also told Winfrey that she contemplated suicide amid unrelenting tabloid harassment.

CBS was first in ratings with a 1.7 rating/10 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 12.4 million, according to preliminary numbers. At 7 p.m., “60 Minutes” posted a 0.8/6 and 9.8 million total viewers. Following the Oprah interview, “The Equalizer” repeat at 10 landed a 0.7/5 and 5.7 million total viewers.

Showbuzzadaily 03/8/21

The Wrap also reports Monday morning was not just a great day for CBS ratings. ViacomCBS’ stock soared to a new high on Monday, following Oprah Winfrey’s high-rated primetime interview of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

Shares of ViacomCBS stock ended the trading day (1 p.m. ET) with a price of $83.66 a share, an increase of 12.7% from the morning and a new record high for the less than two-year-old company (Viacom and CBS merged at the end of 2019).