NBC’s 50th anniversary “Saturday Night Live” special pulled in a strong 14.8 million viewers on average across NBC and Peacock on Sunday.
That’s 202% above the average number of viewers tuning into each regular episode of the series throughout this season, which has been hovering at 4.9 million in Live+Same Day and 8.4 million in Live+7.
The special also scored a 2.5 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. Viewership is expected to grow significantly once delayed viewing is factored in.
NBC claims it is the most-watched primetime entertainment telecast in five years – their largest numbers since the 2020 Golden Globes Awards.
In addition, it was the fourth-most-watched entertainment telecast of all time on Peacock, coming behind only Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade telecasts.
NBC also says the special reached 8.7 million social interactions – their ‘most social’ entertainment telecast of the past two years. The notable ‘Black Jeopardy’ sketch, featuring Eddie Murphy impersonating Tracy Morgan alongside the real Tracy Morgan, has reached 2.8 million views on YouTube.
NBC did not report viewership for Friday night’s “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert” but did say it nearly doubled the average reach of the main series this season.
Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Pedro Pascal and Chris Rock all appeared to introduce or participate in sketches, whilst plenty of famous faces appeared in the audience including Steven Spielberg and Ryan Reynolds making a joke at his own expense.
Source: THR
