Barack Obama Draws a Crowd...on 60 Minutes

President-elect's appearance on 60 Minutes brings newsmag its biggest audience in at least nine-plus years

Barack Obama's television approval ratings are through the roof.

Last night's 60 Minutes, featuring a sit-down with the president-elect and wife Michelle Obama, scored a commanding 24.5 million viewers, Nielsen estimates said.

CBS said the audience was the newsmagazine's biggest since at least the late 20th century—or January 1999. The show dominated every major demographic group, even kids 12-17.

While Obama repeatedly has proved he can pack a house on his own, he surely owes the NFL for at least some of last night's crowd. In many markets, the Obama 60 Minutes aired right after the conclusion of CBS' Sunday football coverage.

Elsewhere,  ABC's Desperate Housewives (16.6 million) was the night's most watched non-Obama, nonfootball show.