First on LateNighter: After hitting a historical low among younger viewers last weekend, SNL‘s ratings saw modest gains this week with host Jack Black and musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
Per Nielsen live-plus-same day data, Saturday Night Live‘s April 5th episode drew an average 4,525,000 viewers aged 2+ and 788,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demo.
Compared to the show’s most recent new episode (with host Mikey Madison and musical guest Morgan Wallen), that’s up +6% among total viewers and +14% among younger viewers.
Out of this season’s sixteen episodes to date, this weekend’s episode ranks as the 10th highest rated episode overall, and its 14th highest in the demo.
Nielsen ratings, of course, are just one measure of the show’s popularity. Many viewers watch the show on Peacock, and in clip form on social media and YouTube. The show’s most-viewed clip on YouTube this week was the show’s cold open, featuring Mike Myers in his third appearance of the season as Elon Musk. As of this writing, it’s been viewed more than 7.7 million times.
With just four episodes to go before the end of SNL’s landmark 50th season, expect more surprises and perhaps a continued ratings recovery over the coming weeks. Jon Hamm returns to host the show for the fourth time this weekend with musical guest (and former host) Lizzo.
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 |
| 3/8/25 | Lady Gaga | 4,625 | 15.00 |
| 3/29/25 | Mikey Madison / Morgan Wallen | 4,268 | 13.21 |
| 5/5/25 | Jack Black / Elton John & Brandi Carlile | 4,525 | 12.30 |
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 Mescal / 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 Gillis / Tate McRae | 895 | 13.76 |
| 3/8/25 | Lady Gaga | 806 | 12.15 |
| 3/29/25 | Mikey Madison / Morgan Wallen | 692 | 10.04 |
| 4/5/25 | Jack Black / Elton John & Brandi Carlile | 788 | 9.25 |
Ratings Data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.
