First on LateNighter: Josh O’Connor’s Saturday Night Live debut proved to be less than a draw on linear TV, at least compared to other recent episodes of the legendary sketch show.
According to just-released Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings, SNL‘s December 13, 2025 episode, hosted by O’Connor with musical guest Lily Allen, dropped 8% week over week to 3.9 million total viewers.
It was a similar story among viewers in the key 18–49 demo, where viewership was down 5% to 710,000 viewers, compared to the prior episode’s 746,000.
That was enough to make it SNL‘s second-lowest-rated episode this season across both key ratings measurements. (The show’s Nov. 1 Miles Teller–hosted episode, which aired opposite a dramatic extra-innings World Series finish, rank as the show’s lowest-rated episode in its 50-year history.)
Year over year, stacked up against 2024’s December 14 episode—hosted by Chris Rock with musical guest Gracie Abrams—O’Connor’s episode was down 6% among total viewers and -13% 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 December 6 episode, hosted by Melissa McCarthy with musical guest Dijon, gained an additional 1.5 million total viewers in the three days following its broadcast, with Live+3 figures topping out at 5.86 million total viewers, while demo viewership grew by more than 47% to 1,095,000.)
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, nor do they account for the show’s YouTube performance, where this week’s “Trump Air Force One Press Conference” cold open had amassed 3.4 million views as of this writing.
As we’ve reported, O’Connor’s SNL made headlines for Dakota Johnson’s unannounced appearance during Lily Allen’s performance of “Madeline,” as well as two instances in which the show—long known for its Emmy-winning craftsmanship—appeared to use AI-generated imagery.
Saturday Night Live returns this weekend with its final episode of 2025, featuring two-time host Ariana Grande and returning musical guest Cher, who last appeared on the show in 1987.
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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/6/25 | 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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/6/25 | 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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