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First on LateNighter: One week after hitting season highs on Halloween, Saturday Night Live has done it again. This weekend’s episode, hosted by Druski with musical guest The Strokes, drew the show’s largest audience in two years, both among total viewers and in the key 18–49 demo.
Per Nielsen Live+Same Day data, Saturday’s episode averaged 5.6 million total viewers and 1.5 million adults 18–49.
That’s an 8% increase in total viewers and an 18% gain in the demo over last week’s Halloween episode, hosted by Inde Navarrette, which had itself delivered the show’s strongest ratings of the season.
The year-over-year comparisons are even more striking. Compared with the fifth episode of last season, hosted by Nikki Glaser with musical guest sombr, Druski’s episode was up 39% among total viewers and a whopping 105% in the demo—more than doubling the show’s 18–49 audience.
To find the last time SNL drew a larger audience in either category, you’d have to go back to November 2, 2024, when John Mulaney hosted with musical guest Chappell Roan. That episode, which featured a surprise cameo from then-Vice President Kamala Harris three days before the presidential election, averaged 6.8 million total viewers and 1.7 million adults 18–49.
As it happens, this weekend’s episode also featured a post-election surprise guest: Texas senator-elect James Talarico, who appeared alongside James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump in the show’s cold open, just four days after his historic victory over Republican Ken Paxton.
This week’s figures will climb once Nielsen’s Live+3 ratings, which account for three days of delayed viewing, become available. The October 31 episode, for example, added 1.3 million viewers in the three days following its broadcast, reaching 6.5 million total viewers, while its 18–49 audience grew by 23% to nearly 1.6 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 Talarico cold open has already become the show’s most-watched video of Season 52, surpassing 11 million views by Tuesday afternoon.
Can the show keep growing from here? In a bit of fortuitous scheduling, the host of the last SNL episode to draw a larger audience is up next: John Mulaney returns for his seventh hosting stint this Saturday, joined by musical guest Phoebe Bridgers.
Episode-by-episode Nielsen ratings charts for SNL’s 52nd season to date follow below.
Live+SD Ratings – All Viewers (P2+)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/7/26 | Druski / The Strokes | 5,585 | 19.02 |
| 10/31/26 | Inde Navarrette / Gracie Abrams | 5,161 | 17.02 |
| 10/10/26 | Shane Gillis / Rosalía | 4,419 | 14.30 |
| 10/3/26 | Dakota Johnson / Turnstile | 4,373 | 14.70 |
| 9/26/26 | Jalen Brunson / KATSEYE | 4,613 | 17.04 |
Live+SD Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/7/26 | Druski / The Strokes | 1,504 | 22.06 |
| 10/31/26 | Inde Navarrette / Gracie Abrams | 1,278 | 18.85 |
| 10/10/26 | Shane Gillis / Rosalía | 1,076 | 15.77 |
| 10/3/26 | Dakota Johnson / Turnstile | 1,033 | 14.55 |
| 9/26/26 | Jalen Brunson / KATSEYE | 1,140 | 18.44 |
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