First on LateNighter: Less than two weeks after its highly-rated 50th anniversary special, ratings fell back down to earth for this weekend’s Saturday Night Live.
Per Nielsen live-plus-same day data, the show’s Shane Gillis-hosted March 1st episode with musical guest Tate McRae drew 4,275,000 total viewers and 895,000 viewers in the all-important 18-49 demo.
Compared to the show’s most recent new regular episode (with host/musical guest Timothée Chalamet on January 25th), that’s down -13.77% among total viewers, and -13.28% in the demo.
Amid a landmark a fiftieth season that kicked off with a series of highly rated pre-election episodes, Gillis’ is the third-lowest rated (out of thirteen).
Still, that’s a step up from the last time Gillis hosted in February of 2024 (with musical guest 21 Savage), at least among total viewers, which grew +7.2%. The picture was less rosy among viewers aged 18-34, where this year’s Gillis episode saw a decrease of -10.5% compared to last year.
Gillis continues to be a polarizing SNL host, with opinions generally falling along party lines. While LateNighter’s Dennis Perkins termed him “singularly unsuited” to the show, others have hailed one of this weekend’s sketches as the show’s best in years.
Saturday Night Live returns this weekend for another new episode, with Lady Gaga (fresh off appearances at both SNL50: The Homecoming Concert and SNL50: The Anniversary Special) doing double duty as both host and musical guest.
Complete season-to-date Nielsen ratings charts for SNL‘s 50th season follow below:
Live+SD Ratings – All Viewers (P2+)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000’s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/28/24 | Jean Smart / Jelly Roll | 5,388 | 15.16 |
| 10/5/24 | Nate Bargatze / Coldplay | 4,763 | 13.34 |
| 10/12/24 | Ariana Grande / Stevie Nicks | 5,573 | 15.60 |
| 10/19/24 | Michael Keaton / Billie Eilish | 4,777 | 12,80 |
| 11/2/24 | John Mulaney / Chappell Roan | 6,587 | 18.35 |
| 11/9/24 | Bill Burr / Mk.gee | 4,424 | 13.09 |
| 11/16/24 | Charli XCX | 4,287 | 12.49 |
| 12/7/24 | Paul Mescal / Shaboozey | 3,839 | 10.80 |
| 12/14/24 | Chris Rock / Gracie Abrams | 4,200 | 12.55 |
| 12/21/24 | Martin Short / Hozier | 4,793 | 13.96 |
| 1/18/25 | Dave Chappelle / GloRilla | 4,848 | 14.92 |
| 1/25/25 | Timothée Chalamet | 4,958 | 14.90 |
| 3/1/25 | Shane Gillis / Tate McRae | 4,275 | 13.92 |
Live+SD Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/28/24 | Jean Smart / Jelly Roll | 1,126 | 13.72 |
| 10/5/24 | Nate Bargatze / Coldplay | 979 | 11.78 |
| 10/12/24* | Ariana Grande / Stevie Nicks | 1,266 | 15.72 |
| 10/19/24 | Michael Keaton / Billie Eilish | 946 | 11.17 |
| 11/2/24 | John Mulaney / Chappell Roan | 1,669 | 20.52 |
| 11/9/24 | Bill Burr / Mk.gee | 967 | 12.45 |
| 11/16/24 | Charli XCX | 863 | 11.32 |
| 12/7/24 | Paul Mesca l/ Shaboozey | 739 | 9.25 |
| 12/14/24 | Chris Rock / Gracie Abrams | 817 | 11.13 |
| 12/21/24 | Martin Short / Hozier | 940 | 12.20 |
| 1/18/25 | Dave Chappelle / GloRilla | 1,021 | 13.24 |
| 1/25/25 | Timothée Chalamet | 1,032 | 14.02 |
| 1/25/25 | Shane Gilli / Tate McRae | 895 | 13.76 |
Ratings Data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
