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(NewsNation) — CBS continues to feel the fallout from Gayle King’s ill-advised trip to space.
The network had brashly announced that King’s spaced flight had rocketed audience numbers to never-before-seen (since the ’90s) heights … but failed to mention that numbers cratered after the trip in which King was widely criticized not just for accepting a gift flight worth millions but her tone-deaf comments afterwards.
As I reported several weeks ago, the Monday before the flight, “CBS Mornings” had an unbelievable 3.9 million viewers with 593,000 in the coveted youth demo. But after the flight, which was widely mocked by not just celebrities and late-night hosts but also regular people on social media, viewers fled.
‘CBS Mornings’ sees more than 50% loss in viewers days after Blue Origin flight
The following three days, the numbers cratered to an average of 1.9 million people (a 51% loss), and the demo fell to 339,000 (a 43% loss).
King was especially ridiculed for her tetchy comebacks to critics, whom she even accused of sexism, although one fails to understand how her trip did anything except inspire young girls to befriend billionaires’ fiancées.
“Have you been?” King asked, per “Entertainment Tonight,” while scolding critics.
(Social media answers ranged from “No Gayle, I’m trying to buy eggs,” to “Gayle, if I had that money to go, I’d pay off the mortgage on my house.”).
And no one seems to be coming back for more.
‘CBS Mornings’ down 11% when compared to 2024
According to AdWeek, “CBS Mornings” is holding at the 1.9 million mark but continues to lose the coveted 25 to 54 demo (which is the only thing advertisers care about). The demo fell even further to just 318,000 in the weeks after launch.
Even worse news: Compared to 2024, “CBS Mornings” was down 11% in total viewers and 24% in the demo. Ouch.
A rep for “CBS Mornings” didn’t return emails.