First on LateNighter: Preliminary ratings for Ryan Gosling‘s giggle-filled return to Saturday Night Live this weekend were a step down from the show’s most recent episode.
Per Nielsen Live + Same Day data, the show’s March 7 episode, which also featured musical guest Gorillaz, drew an average of 4.3 million total viewers and 817,000 viewers aged 18–49.
That’s a 6.3% drop in total audience and a 20.6% decrease in the advertiser-coveted demo from a week ago.
It’s also a decrease from Gosling’s last turn at bat in April 2024, when he drew 4.7 million Live + Same Day viewers, and 983,000 viewers in the demo.
Among the 14 SNL episodes to air so far this season, Gosling’s ranks No. 7 in total viewers and No. 8 among viewers 18–49.
As always, bottom-line viewership will rise when Live+3 numbers, which include delayed viewing, come in. (For example, per Nielsen, the show’s February 28 episode, hosted by Connor Storrie with musical guest Mumford & Sons, gained 1.7 million total viewers in the three days following its broadcast, with Live+3 figures topping out at 6.3 million total viewers, while demo viewership grew by 44% to just over 1.5 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 “Hegseth Iran Presser Cold Open” had already amassed 4.9 million views as of this writing.
This weekend’s episode made headlines after Harry Styles crashed Gosling’s monologue, and for a sketch that leaned into the four-time host’s reputation for breaking on the show. But as we’ve reported, this weekend’s biggest SNL news may have been what didn’t air: a Beavis and Butt-Head sequel that was cut at dress rehearsal.
Harry Styles returns to Saturday Night Live this weekend, where he’ll be performing double duty as both host and musical guest.
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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/7/26 | 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$AP Rocky | 4,140 | 15.19 |
| 12/20/25 | Ariana Grande / Cher | 5,404 | 16.83 |
| 12/13/25 | Josh O’Connor / Lily Allen | 3,949 | 13.08 |
| 12/6/25 | Melissa McCarthy / Dijon | 4,304 | 12.62 |
| 11/15/25 | Glen Powell / Olivia Dean | 4,165 | 14.41 |
| 11/8/25 | Nikki Glaser / sombr | 4,023 | 13.75 |
| 11/1/25 | Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile | 3,496 | 7.47 |
| 10/18/25 | Sabrina Carpenter | 4,248 | 14.67 |
| 10/11/25 | Amy Poehler / Role Model | 4,369 | 14.05 |
| 10/4/25 | Bad Bunny / Doja Cat | 4,634 | 14.99 |
Live+SD Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | Avg Viewers (000s) | Avg Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/7/26 | Ryan Gosling / Gorillaz | 817 | 12.87 |
| 2/28/26 | Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons | 1,029 | 15.19 |
| 1/31/26 | Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B | 950 | 14.32 |
| 1/24/26 | Teyana Taylor / Geese | 695 | 11.06 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$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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