Ratings: Dakota Johnson-Hosted SNL Down From Premiere, Up in Demo vs. Last Year

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First on LateNighter: Dakota Johnson’s Saturday Night Live dipped from last week’s Jalen Brunson-hosted season premiere, but matched last season’s comparable episode in total viewers—and was up double digits year-over-year among viewers aged 18–49.

Per Nielsen Live+Same Day data, SNL‘s October 3 episode, which also featured musical guest Turnstile, drew an average of 4.4 million total viewers and 1 million viewers aged 18–49.

That’s a 5% decrease in total audience and a 9% decrease in the advertiser-coveted demo from last week.

Year-over-year, compared to the show’s second episode last season (with host Amy Poehler and musical guest Role Model), this weekend’s episode was flat in total viewers and up 16% in the demo.

This week’s episode was delayed by ten minutes across much of the country by a college football overrun.

As always, bottom-line viewership will rise when Live+3 numbers—which include delayed viewing—come in. (For example, per Nielsen, last week’s episode gained 1.6 million total viewers in the three days following its broadcast, with Live+3 figures topping out at 6.2 million total viewers, while demo viewership grew by 34% to 1.5 million viewers.)

It’s also worth noting that linear ratings are just one piece of the pie, especially among younger viewers. Live+Same Day figures do not include live viewing on Peacock or social media, nor do they account for the show’s YouTube performance, where this weekend’s “Republican Midterm Ads Cold Open” had accumulated more than five million views as of Tuesday afternoon.

This week’s episode marked Johnson’s third time hosting the show. She was joined in her monologue by a cameo from Taylor Swift, making her first appearance in three years. The show also made headlines for a final sketch that was only half the joke: its planned second installment was cut for time, then restored when SNL posted both parts online Tuesday.

SNL returns this weekend with Shane Gillis taking his third turn as host, and second-time musical guest Rosalia.

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