First on LateNighter: Teyana Taylor’s debut as Saturday Night Live host delivered a split verdict in the ratings, with the show improving its overall audience from the prior week while losing ground among younger viewers.
According to just-released Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings, the show’s January 24 episode drew an average of 4.1 million total viewers, up seven percent from a week ago. The picture was less rosy in the advertiser-coveted demo, with 695,000 viewers aged 18–49 tuning in, a decrease of 19 percent week over week.
Among total viewers, this weekend’s show ranks as this season’s third-highest-rated episode out of eleven episodes so far, with only the Bad Bunny-hosted season premiere and the Ariana Grande-hosted Christmas episode faring better. Among younger viewers it ranks as the season’s second-lowest-rated episode so far, with only Miles Teller’s Nov 1 episode drawing a smaller audience in the demo.
Year over year, stacked up against 2025’s January 25 episode—which saw Timothée Chalamet perform double duty—this week’s episode was down 13 percent among total Live+Same Day viewers and down 33 percent in the demo.
As always, bottom-line viewership will rise when Live+3 numbers, which include delayed viewing, come in. (For example, per Nielsen, the show’s January 17 episode, hosted by Finn Wolfhard, gained 1.5 million total viewers in the three days following its broadcast, with Live+3 figures topping out at 5.6 million total viewers, while demo viewership grew by 42 percent to 1.2 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 week’s “Trump Awards” cold open had already amassed 3.2 million views as of this writing.
As we’ve reported, this week’sTeyana Taylor-hosted SNL featured a cameo from Mike Myers, who reprised his Elon Musk impression for the first time since April 2025. The show has since received buzz for an eye-popping cut-at-dress sketch featuring Sarah Sherman as a traumatized son.
Saturday Night Live returns this weekend with the show’s milestone 1,000th episode. Actor Alexander Skarsgård is set to host, with musical guest Cardi B.
Episode-by-episode Nielsen ratings charts for SNL’s 51st season follow below.
Live+SD Ratings – All Viewers (P2+)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000’s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/24/26 | Tayana Taylor / Geese | 4,437 | 14.42 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$AP Rocky | 4,140 | 15.19 |
| 12/20/25 | Ariana Grande / Cher | 5,404 | 16.83 |
| 12/13/25 | Josh O’Connor / Lily Allen | 3,949 | 13.08 |
| 12/6/25 | Melissa McCarthy / Dijon | 4,304 | 12.62 |
| 11/15/25 | Glen Powell / Olivia Dean | 4,165 | 14.41 |
| 11/8/25 | Nikki Glaser / sombr | 4,023 | 13.75 |
| 11/1/25 | Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile | 3,496 | 7.47 |
| 10/18/25 | Sabrina Carpenter | 4,248 | 14.67 |
| 10/11/25 | Amy Poehler / Role Model | 4,369 | 14.05 |
| 10/4/25 | Bad Bunny / Doja Cat | 4,634 | 14.99 |
Live+SD Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/24/26 | Tayana Taylor / Geese | 695 | 11.06 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$AP Rocky | 858 | 14.53 |
| 12/20/25 | Ariana Grande / Cher | 1,224 | 17.71 |
| 12/13/25 | Josh O’Connor / Lily Allen | 710 | 11.23 |
| 12/6/25 | Melissa McCarthy / Dijon | 746 | 9.87 |
| 11/15/25 | Glen Powell / Olivia Dean | 799 | 13.48 |
| 11/8/25 | Nikki Glaser / sombr | 733 | 11.97 |
| 11/1/25 | Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile | 605 | 4.98 |
| 10/18/25 | Sabrina Carpenter | 938 | 14.92 |
| 10/11/25 | Amy Poehler / Role Model | 893 | 12.91 |
| 10/4/25 | Bad Bunny / Doja Cat | 1,125 | 16.33 |
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