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“Saturday Night Live” Season 50 was the series’ most-watched since Season 47, averaging 8.1 million viewers across all platforms. This marks a 12% increase from Season 49 for the history-making season.
In the coveted 18-to-49-year-old demographic, “SNL” ranked as the No. 1 broadcast entertainment series for the 2024-25 season. It was also the No. 1 comedy series across broadcast and cable for the sixth consecutive season. Season 50’s most watched episode was the Oct. 12 episode, which was hosted by Ariana Grande with musical guest Stevie Nicks. That episode saw 712 million views across social media. As for the most watched sketch, that too came from Grande’s return. “Domingo: Bridesmaid Speech” saw 171 million views.
“To see the show honor its legacy while still pushing boundaries was incredible. The strong ratings this season are a testament to how deeply ‘SNL’ continues to resonate with audiences,” Katie Hockmeyer, executive vice president of late night for NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement to press. “After five decades, ‘SNL’ remains a powerful force in shaping culture and making us laugh week after week.”
NBC and Peacock’s special programming tied to the historic 50th season also saw notable numbers. “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,” “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” and “Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music” reached 50 million viewers across all platforms. Specifically, “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” averaged 22.8 million total viewers across all platforms in its first 35 days. As for “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” that is now Peacock’s highest-reaching original special of all time.
But the real standout of the season was the three hour long “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” That star-studded event drew 7.7 billion views across social media. NBC will re-air the special on June 8 from 7:30 p.m. ET/PT to 11 p.m. ET/PT.
