Saturday Night Live went all out this year with its 50th anniversary and its ratings have reflected that effort.
NBC has revealed that Season 50 of the late-night show hit a three-year rating high – it became the most-watched season since Season 47, which ran between October 2021 and May 2022.
Season 50 averaged 8.1M viewers across all platforms, per NBC, in the live+seven days metric.
This was a 12% increase on Season 49. Nielsen said that the show averaged 7.2M viewers last season.
Season 47, for context, drew 9M viewers in the live+seven numbers.
Last year, NBC touted the youth numbers and the Lorne Michaels-created show remained the number one entertainment series across ad-supported broadcast and cable in the 18-49 demo for the 2024/25 season for the sixth consecutive season.
“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,” said Katie Hockmeyer, EVP, Late Night, NBCUniversal Entertainment. “After five decades, SNL remains a powerful force in shaping culture and making us laugh week after week.”
