CBS News town hall featuring Erika Kirk brings in nearly two million viewers: Report

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: CBS News’ Erika Kirk town hall was viewed by nearly 2 million viewers as it aired on Saturday, December 13, with 265,000 in the 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen big data plus panel figures.

The Bari Weiss’ interview with Kirk became CBS News’ most-watched interview ever on social media as the one-hour town hall scored 185 million views on TikTok, Facebook, X, and Instagram. The town hall also garnered  13.9 million minutes on CBS News 24/7, as reported by The Wrap.

Erika Kirk’s appearance outpaces CBS’ season-to-date performance in Saturday, 8 pm time period

Erika Kirk’s appearance in the town hall also outpaced CBS’ season-to-date performance in the Saturday, 8 PM time period in all measurements, as total viewers were up 32 percent, the 25-54 demo was up 19 percent, and adults 18-49 were up 14 percent.

The town hall was recorded on December 10, and was said to cover "faith, grief, perseverance, and the memory of her husband, Charlie Kirk."

During the town hall, Weiss defended her choice to bring her on the show and said that it’s important to have conversations with people you don’t agree with.

Weiss said on CBS Mornings, "I just fundamentally disagree with the idea that we shouldn’t be able to speak across divides. That doesn’t mean that there are not lines."

"The question, of course, is whether or not Charlie Kirk crossed those lines and in my view, you hear me quote many of the controversial things he said — needless to say, there are many things Charlie Kirk said in his life that I vehemently disagree with, but, to me, that’s not the point," the CBS Editor-in-Chief said.

She also mentioned, "The point is that we are walking into an abyss as a country if we accept the idea that words are violence, but violence, if directed at the right targets, is acceptable."

Report suggests Erika Kirk's sit-down dipped 10% in total viewership

The Erika Kirk appearance on town hall dipped 10 percent in total viewership compared to the network’s standard programming in that time slot year to date – and was down 41 percent in the key demo, The Independent reported, which cited Nielsen’s final ratings.

Meanwhile, Kirk’s various appearances on Fox News last week drew 2 million viewers on average, with her guest-hosting appearance on 'The Five' delivered 3.3 million viewers at the 5 pm ET time slot on Tuesday, December 16.

Interestingly, the town hall also marked Weiss’ first appearance on a CBS broadcast since taking the helm of the storied-but-struggling news network in October 2025.

Moreover, insiders revealed that it is unusual for top executives at news stations to appear on their own networks. The special aired amid breaking news coverage of the Brown University mass shooting.

Furthermore, Variety reported on Sunday, December 14, that Weiss’ Kirk special had a dearth of mainstream advertisers. The report mentioned, "During the hour, commercial breaks were largely filled with spots from direct-response advertisers, including the dietary supplement SuperBeets; the home-repair service HomeServe.com; and CarFax, a supplier of auto ownership data."