Fifty-one seasons in, Saturday Night Live remains broadcast TV’s biggest comedy draw.
According to new season-end numbers from NBC, SNL finished the 2025-26 season as the No. 1 broadcast comedy series among adults 18-49, and the No. 3 entertainment series overall in the demo.
It marks the show’s seventh consecutive season as the top-rated comedy series on television among viewers 18-49.
The show also ranked No. 2 among all broadcast comedy series in total viewers. NBC says Season 51 was up 6% in total viewers compared to Season 49, and up 5% compared to Season 48. The comparison excludes last season’s special 50th anniversary year, which included the network’s massive SNL50 anniversary special and Homecoming Concert.
The season’s most-watched telecast was the December 20 episode hosted by Ariana Grande, with musical guest Cher, which NBC reports drew 10.1 million viewers across all platformsand the most social views of any SNL telecast this season. That same episode drew a linear Live+7 Day audience of 7.8 million, per Nielsen.
On Peacock, the season’s biggest episode was its October 4 premiere hosted by Bad Bunny, with musical guest Doja Cat. NBC says that episode also produced the season’s most-viewed sketch across social platforms: “El Chavo Del Ocho.”
The May 17 season finale, hosted by Will Ferrell with musical guest Paul McCartney, was up 9% in total viewers compared to the 2025 season finale.
But the most eye-popping number in NBC’s release comes off-platform: The network says video views for the full 2025-26 SNL season hit 8.2 billion, up a whopping 98% from 4.2 billion the previous season.
LateNighter has reached out to NBC for additional clarity on what platforms and measurement window are included in that 8.2 billion figure.
However it’s being counted, the number underscores just how much of SNL’s present-day reach now exists beyond the Saturday night broadcast. More than half a century in, the show remains a ratings force on linear TV—but increasingly, its biggest audience may be the one watching clips long after goodnights.
Final episode-by-episode linear ratings for Season 51 follow below:
Live+7 Day Ratings – All Viewers (P2+)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | P2+ Live+7 US AA Proj (000’s) | P2+ Live+7 US Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/4/25 | Bad Bunny / Doja Cat | 6,693 | 21.64 |
| 10/11/25 | Amy Poehler / Role Model | 6,430 | 20.67 |
| 10/18/25 | Sabrina Carpenter | 5,773 | 19.94 |
| 11/1/25 | Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile | 4,899 | 10.46 |
| 11/8/25 | Nikki Glaser / sombr | 5,573 | 19.07 |
| 11/15/25 | Glen Powell / Olivia Dean | 5,712 | 19.77 |
| 12/6/25 | Melissa McCarthy / Dijon | 6,055 | 17.76 |
| 12/13/25 | Josh O’Connor / Lily Allen | 5,250 | 17.38 |
| 12/20/25 | Ariana Grande / Cher | 7,753 | 24.14 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$AP Rocky | 5,820 | 21.35 |
| 1/24/26 | Teyana Taylor / Geese | 5,902 | 19.18 |
| 1/31/26 | Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B | 6,696 | 21.09 |
| 2/28/26 | Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons | 6,473 | 20.01 |
| 3/7/26 | Ryan Gosling / Gorillaz | 6,192 | 20.41 |
| 3/14/26 | Harry Styles | 6,791 | 19.41 |
| 4/4/26 | Jack Black / Jack White | 6,521 | 19.02 |
| 4/11/26 | Colman Domingo / Anitta | 5,777 | 18.11 |
| 5/2/26 | Olivia Rodrigo | 7,062 | 22.48 |
| 5/9/26 | Matt Damon / Noah Kahan | 6,705 | 19.87 |
| 5/16/26 | Will Ferrell / Paul McCartney | 7,707 | 23.29 |
Live+7 Day Ratings – In the Demo (P18-49)
| Date | Host / Music Guest | P18-49 Live+7 US AA Proj (000’s) | P18-49 Live+7 US Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/4/25 | Bad Bunny / Doja Cat | 1,684 | 24.45 |
| 10/11/25 | Amy Poehler / Role Model | 1,451 | 20.97 |
| 10/18/25 | Sabrina Carpenter | 1,410 | 22.43 |
| 11/1/25 | Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile | 1,030 | 8.48 |
| 11/8/25 | Nikki Glaser / sombr | 1,115 | 18.21 |
| 11/15/25 | Glen Powell / Olivia Dean | 1,204 | 20.32 |
| 12/6/25 | Melissa McCarthy / Dijon | 1,168 | 15.45 |
| 12/13/25 | Josh O’Connor / Lily Allen | 1,002 | 15.86 |
| 12/20/25 | Ariana Grande / Cher | 1,838 | 26.58 |
| 1/17/26 | Finn Wolfhard / A$AP Rocky | 1,315 | 22.28 |
| 1/24/26 | Teyana Taylor / Geese | 1,111 | 17.69 |
| 1/31/26 | Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B | 1,549 | 23.36 |
| 2/28/26 | Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons | 1,540 | 22.73 |
| 3/7/26 | Ryan Gosling / Gorillaz | 1,343 | 21.16 |
| 3/14/26 | Harry Styles | 1,538 | 19.85 |
| 4/4/26 | Jack Black / Jack White | 1,677 | 22.14 |
| 4/11/26 | Colman Domingo / Anitta | 1,282 | 18.93 |
| 5/2/26 | Olivia Rodrigo | 1,740 | 26.70 |
| 5/9/26 | Matt Damon / Noah Kahan | 1,553 | 18.93 |
| 5/16/26 | Will Ferrell / Paul McCartney | 1,787 | 22.51 |
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That’s amazing considering the season was shit.
Or as Dennis Perkins would call it, a B+