Ratings: Halloween SNL Scores Best Demo Numbers in Nearly Two Years

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First on LateNighter: Saturday Night Live had its biggest ratings night of the season on Halloween, with Inde Navarrette‘s October 31 episode drawing the show’s largest total audience in nearly a year—and its biggest 18–49 audience in nearly two years.

Per Nielsen Live+Same Day data, the episode, which featured Gracie Abrams as musical guest, averaged 5.2 million total viewers and 1.3 million adults 18–49.

Those numbers represent gains of 17% among total viewers and 19% in the demo compared with the show’s most recent new episode, hosted by Shane Gillis on October 10.

Among total viewers, SNL hasn’t scored higher Live+Same Day ratings since last December’s Ariana Grande-hosted holiday episode. For a bigger 18–49 audience, you’d have to go back to November 2, 2024, when John Mulaney hosted with musical guest Chappell Roan, and then-Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise cameo three days before the presidential election.

All of that came despite an 11-minute college football overrun that delayed the show across much of the country—the third such delay in just four episodes this season.

Those figures will climb once Nielsen’s Live+3 ratings, which account for three days of delayed viewing, become available. The October 10 episode, for example, added 1.4 million viewers in the three days following its broadcast, reaching 5.8 million total viewers, while its 18–49 audience grew by 31% to 1.4 million.

Linear TV ratings, of course, tell only part of the story, especially among younger viewers. Live+Same Day figures don’t include live viewing on Peacock or the show’s performance on social platforms. On YouTube, Saturday’s “Scary Halloween Cold Open” had already racked up more than 4.5 million views as of Wednesday afternoon.

Navarrette’s Halloween episode featured cameos from Tom Hanks, who briefly reprised his David S. Pumpkins character, and Bobby Moynihan, who returned as one of his dancing skeletons. Moynihan also brought back Drunk Uncle for his 16th appearance on “Weekend Update,” where he was joined by members of the newly crowned World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers.

SNL returns with another new episode this Saturday, featuring first-time host Druski and musical guest The Strokes.

Episode-by-episode Nielsen ratings charts for SNL’s 52nd season to date follow below.

Live+SD Ratings – All Viewers (P2+)

Live+SD Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)

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