First on LateNighter: Saturday’s one-two punch of Ariana Grande‘s return and Bowen Yang‘s farewell notched Saturday Night Live its best ratings numbers since Kamala Harris cameoed on the show three days before the 2020 election—and its highest-rated Christmas episode in five years.
According to just-released Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings, the show’s December 20 episode, which also marked Cher‘s first appearance on the show proper since 1987, drew an average of 5.4 million total viewers, up nearly 37 percent over last week’s episode. The jump was even more pronounced in the demo, with over 1.2 million viewers aged 18–49 tuning in, up 72% week-over-week.
The episode now stands as the show’s highest-rated of Season 51 by a significant margin (the season opener with Bad Bunny and Doja Cat ranks second, with an average of 4.6 million total viewers).
Year over year, stacked up against 2024’s December 21 episode—hosted by Martin Short with musical guest Hozier—Grande’s episode was up 9% among total viewers and 28% in the demo.
As always, bottom-line viewership will rise when Live+3 numbers, which include delayed viewing, come in. (For example, per Nielsen, the show’s December 13 episode, hosted by Josh O’Connor with musical guest Lily Allen, gained an additional 1.2 million total viewers in the three days following its broadcast, with Live+3 figures topping out at 5.12 million total viewers, while demo viewership grew by more than 36% to 968,000.)
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, nor do they account for the show’s YouTube performance, where this week’s “Trump Christmas Address” cold open had amassed 3.2 million views as of this writing.
As we’ve reported, Grande’s SNL made headlines as it bid farewell to Bowen Yang, who is leaving the show after six and a half years on the cast. The episode featured several tributes to Yang, with former cast member Aidy Bryant returning for one last Trend Forecasters feature on “Weekend Update,” and a sentimental final musical sketch that paired a tearful Yang with Grande and Cher.
Saturday Night Live returns January 17 with its first episode of 2026, featuring first-time host Finn Wolfhard with musical guest A$AP Rocky.
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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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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Your title left out Cher. Lol