SNL's 50th Anniversary Special Garners 14.8 Million Viewers, Setting NBC's Largest Entertainment Viewership in the Past Half Decade
NBC was caught off guard when they saw the viewing figures for Sunday night's SNL:50 Anniversary Special!
The live broadcast pulled in a whopping 14.8 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, according to preliminary data and numbers from NBCUniversal. This figure makes it NBC's most significant primetime entertainment telecast in five years, surpassing the 18.33 million viewers who tuned in for the 2020 Golden Globes. It also ranks as the second-biggest non-sports program on broadcast television this season, just behind the 15.4 million viewers who watched The Grammy Awards on CBS.
In the coveted 18-49 demo, the special scored a 2.53 rating across NBC and Peacock, another five-year record. With delayed viewing usage yet to be factored in, these figures are set to increase, albeit not reaching the 23.1 million viewers who watched the SNL 40th anniversary special in 2015.
The SNL 50 Anniversary Special served as the finale of a weekend-long celebration which kicked off at Radio City Music Hall with a homecoming concert on Friday night. The special was jam-packed with former SNL cast members and famous guests, such as Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Bill Murray, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Martin Short, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Kristen Wiig, and more.
Some of the sketches included: new versions of "Black Jeopardy," "Close Encounter," "Debbie Downer," "Bronx Beat" meeting "Coffee Talk," and "Weekend Update." Familiar characters returned, including Will Ferrell's Robert Goulet, Rachel Dratch's Debbie Downer, Kristen Wiig's Dooneese, Molly Shannon's Sally O'Malley, Pete Davidson's Chad, Cecily Strong's Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party, and Bobby Moynihan's Drunk Uncle.
Additional Notes:- The special was the most-watched primetime entertainment simulcast on Peacock to date, with only three Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcasts attracting higher viewer numbers to the streamer.- The Black Jeopardy sketch with Kenan Thompson, Eddie Murphy, Tom Hanks, Leslie Jones, and Chris Rock has already garnered over 3.1 million views on YouTube.- The red carpet special, hosted by Leslie Jones and Willie Geist, drew in 6.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and E.
- The 'SNL50: Anniversary Special' broke NBC's five-year record in primetime viewership, attracting 14.8 million viewers.
- Some of the notable guests in the 'SNL50 Anniversary Special' included Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler.
- The special on NBC and Peacock outperformed the 2020 Golden Globes, making it the network's most significant primetime entertainment telecast in five years.
- The 'SNL50: Anniversary Special' averaged a 2.53 rating in the coveted 18-49 demo, setting a new five-year record.
- In 2025, NBC is set to celebrate 'SNL's 55th anniversary, with hopes of surpassing the viewership of the 'SNL50: Anniversary Special'.
- The 'SNL50: Anniversary Special' on Peacock became the streamer's most-watched primetime entertainment simulcast, surpassing three Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcasts.
- During the 'SNL50: Anniversary Special', beloved characters like Robert Goulet (Will Ferrell), Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch), and Drunk Uncle (Bobby Moynihan) made their returns.
