Oprah Winfrey interviews Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Harpo Results | Joe Pugliese | Getty Images
An estimated 17.1 million people were gearing up for Sunday night ‘s Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on CBS, according to the network, citing Nielsen data.
The two-hour sit-down, titled “Oprah by Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special,” drew 2.6 number among 18-49 adults. These numbers are likely to increase as altered data comes from looking home and delays in looking in over the next day or so. Nielsen traditionally posts the official numbers for late Sunday events next Tuesday.
This is the largest prime-time audience for any special show during the 2020-2021 TV season and the second live event at CBS outside of Sunday’s National Football League and Super Bowl.
These start-up figures are a strong result for CBS, according to a report that paid a license fee of between $ 7 million and $ 9 million to Oprah’s Harpo Productions to broadcast the special one. Meghan and Harry were not paid to take part in the interview.
For comparison, more people watched the interview than watched last September’s Emmy Awards and Golden Globes. The interview is proof, even in streaming time, that there are still events that could move many viewers to traditional network television.
The interview with Oprah explored in depth the reasons why the couple decided to leave England and step away from their royal duties.
Meghan and Harry addressed what they said was a lack of support Meghan received when she went to the palace for mental health issues, a denial of security protection for the couple’s son Archie, and the concerns of some royals as to what skin tone she was wearing. Archie would have once He was born.
The parallels between Meghan and Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, were clear even before the couple made their own comparison during the interview. Harry noted that they were financially cut by the royal family in early 2020 and that he and Meghan were unable to recover because of the estate his mother left him.
He also said that the contracts he and Meghan made with Netflix and Spotify were made, in part, to meet their ongoing security needs.
The couple also revealed that they were married before the official royal wedding in a small intimate party and announced that their second child, who is due in the summer, is a girl.