NBC recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live” with a special broadcast that captivated an impressive average audience of 14.8 million viewers across both NBC and Peacock. This marked a remarkable 202% increase compared to the average of 4.9 million viewers for typical episodes during the show’s 50th season, which had already shown a 13% rise from the previous season’s same-day numbers. In the crucial 18-49 age demographic, the special achieved a notable rating of 2.5.
This anniversary special has become NBC’s highest-rated primetime entertainment program in five years, outshining even the 2020 Golden Globes. Moreover, it ranks as the fourth most-watched entertainment telecast ever on Peacock, trailing only the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcasts.
Moreover, it is anticipated that viewership will continue to climb through delayed viewing across Peacock and other platforms. The average viewership for Season 50 of “SNL” rises to 8.4 million when accounting for seven days of delayed viewing, reflecting a significant 71% increase from the live and same-day total of 4.9 million.
“SNL” has garnered significant attention on digital platforms, especially on YouTube. For instance, the highly popular “Black Jeopardy” sketch from Sunday has already amassed 2.8 million views. According to NBC, the anniversary special generated 8.7 million social media interactions, establishing it as the most socially engaging entertainment telecast in two years and the most discussed “SNL” episode in history.
The live red carpet event for “SNL50,” which featured hosts Willie Geist and Leslie Jones along with correspondent Matt Rogers, attracted 6.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and E! in the hour preceding the main special.
While NBC has not disclosed specific viewership numbers for “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” that Friday night special reportedly achieved nearly double the season’s average viewership over a three-day period.
The “SNL50” celebration featured an array of celebrity guests and beloved alumni from the show. Highlights included the “Black Jeopardy” sketch with stars like Kenan Thompson and Eddie Murphy, as well as memorable appearances from Jack Nicholson introducing Adam Sandler, Robert De Niro in the iconic “Debbie Downer” sketch with Rachel Dratch, and Meryl Streep in a funny alien abduction segment with Pedro Pascal. Musical acts during the special featured Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon, followed by Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard, and concluding with Paul McCartney performing a medley of his classic songs.
The anniversary special, along with the long-running series itself, was created and executive produced by Lorne Michaels under his Broadway Video production company.
