First on LateNighter: Preliminary ratings for Harry Styles’ return to Saturday Night Live this past weekend were a step up from the show’s most recent episode.
Per Nielsen Live+Same Day data, the show’s March 14 episode drew an average of 4.8 million total viewers and 942,000 viewers aged 18–49.
That’s a 10.5% increase in total audience and a 15.3% increase in the advertiser-coveted demo from a week ago.
Among the 15 SNL episodes to air so far this season, Styles’ ranks No. 5 among viewers aged 18–49 and No. 3 in total viewers (with only Alexander Skarsgård’s SNL debut and the Ariana Grande-hosted Christmas episode faring better).
As always, bottom-line viewership will rise when Live+3 numbers—which include delayed viewing—come in. (For example, per Nielsen, the show’s March 7 episode, hosted by Ryan Gosling with musical guest Gorillaz, gained 1.6 million total viewers in the three days following its broadcast, with Live+3 figures topping out at 6 million total viewers, while demo viewership grew by 53.6% to just over 1.3 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’s Gas Prices Cold Open” had already amassed 4.4 million views as of this writing.
This weekend’s episode made headlines for MAHAspital, a well-received parody of The Pitt, which later drew protest from Michael Kosta for its similarities to an earlier Daily Show bit. As we’ve reported, it also featured the return of Kenan Thompson’s French stand-up comic Jean K. Jean, who made his first appearance on the show in more than a decade.
SNL returns from a two-week break on April 4 with the inspired host/musical guest combination of Jack Black and Jack White.
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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/14/26 | Harry Styles | 4,792 | 13.70 |
| 3/7/26 | Ryan Gosling / Gorillaz | 4,342 | 14.31 |
| 2/28/26 | Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons | 4,611 | 19.26 |
| 1/31/26 | Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B | 4,820 | 15.18 |
| 1/24/26 | Teyana Taylor / Geese | 4,437 | 14.42 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$AP Rocky | 4,140 | 15.19 |
| 12/20/25 | Ariana Grande / Cher | 5,404 | 16.83 |
| 12/13/25 | Josh O’Connor / Lily Allen | 3,949 | 13.08 |
| 12/6/25 | Melissa McCarthy / Dijon | 4,304 | 12.62 |
| 11/15/25 | Glen Powell / Olivia Dean | 4,165 | 14.41 |
| 11/8/25 | Nikki Glaser / sombr | 4,023 | 13.75 |
| 11/1/25 | Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile | 3,496 | 7.47 |
| 10/18/25 | Sabrina Carpenter | 4,248 | 14.67 |
| 10/11/25 | Amy Poehler / Role Model | 4,369 | 14.05 |
| 10/4/25 | Bad Bunny / Doja Cat | 4,634 | 14.99 |
Live+SD Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/14/26 | Harry Styles | 942 | 12.16 |
| 3/7/26 | Ryan Gosling / Gorillaz | 817 | 12.87 |
| 2/28/26 | Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons | 1,029 | 15.19 |
| 1/31/26 | Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B | 950 | 14.32 |
| 1/24/26 | Teyana Taylor / Geese | 695 | 11.06 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$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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