SNL Attracted 14.8M Viewers

NBC is ecstatic with the ratings for Sunday night's SNL:50: The Anniversary Special.

The live broadcast attracted an impressive 14.8 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, according to preliminary data and internal figures from NBCUniversal. 

This was the network's biggest primetime entertainment show in five years, since the 2020 Golden Globes which averaged 18.33 million viewers. It also ranks as the second largest non-sports event on broadcast TV this season, following the Grammy Awards on CBS, which drew 15.4 million viewers.

In the key adult 18-49 demographic, SNL 50: The Anniversary Special achieved a 2.53 rating across both NBC and Peacock, marking another five-year high.

Although 14.8 million total viewers is more than three times the number who tune into a regular episode of the show this season, it falls well short of the 23.1 million viewers who watched the show’s 40th anniversary special in 2015 (before streaming began significantly drawing viewers away from linear television).

Still, it’s the highest viewership NBC has seen for a entertainment primetime program since the network’s 2020 broadcast of The Golden Globe Awards, which drew 18.4 million viewers.

These numbers are expected to grow with the inclusion of delayed viewing, though they won't reach the 23.1 million who tuned into the SNL 40th Anniversary Special in 2015, when traditional broadcast television had a larger audience before streaming became prevalent.

The red carpet show for the event, which was hosted by Willie Geist, Matt Rogers and Leslie Jones, brought in 6.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and E! as it aired prior to “SNL50” from 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET.

Throughout the night, “SNL50” garnered 8.7 million social interactions, making the event NBC’s most social entertainment telecast in two years and the highest-performing “SNL” episode to date when it comes to social interaction.

The SNL 50: The Anniversary Special was the highlight of a weekend celebration that started with a homecoming concert at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night. The special showcased a plethora of former Saturday Night Live cast members and notable guests like Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Martin Short, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Kristen Wiig, Rachel Dratch, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, along with stars like Cher, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Paul Simon, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, Tom Hanks, and Paul McCartney.

Highlights included fresh spins on classic sketches like "Black Jeopardy," "Close Encounter," "Debbie Downer," a crossover of "Bronx Beat" and "Coffee Talk," and "Weekend Update." Iconic characters returned with Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet, Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer, Kristen Wiig as Dooneese, Molly Shannon as Sally O’Malley, Pete Davidson as Chad, Cecily Strong as the Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party, and Bobby Moynihan's Drunk Uncle.