14.8 Million Viewers; NBC’s Largest Entertainment Telecast In 5 Years

NBC was verklempt when the ratings arrived for Sunday night’s SNL:50: The Anniversary Special!

The live telecast scored a hefty 14.8 million viewers on NBC and streaming partner Peacock, based on preliminary data and internal numbers from NBCUniversal. Comparably, this was the broadcast network’s largest primetime entertainment telecast in five years (when the 2020 Golden Globes averaged 18.33 million viewers). It was also the second biggest non-sports program on broadcast television this season since the 15.4 million viewers who watched The Grammy Awards on CBS earlier this month.

Among the coveted adult 18-49 demo group, SNL 50: The Anniversary Special scored a 2.53 rating across NBC and Peacock, which was also a five-year high.

Naturally, these results will increase once the delayed viewing usage is factored in. But they will fall short of the 23.1 million viewers who watched the SNL 40th anniversary special in 2015 (when broadcast television overall had a traditionally larger audience base before the influx of streaming).

SNL 50 The Anniversary Special marked the culmination of a weekend-long celebration that began with Friday night’s homecoming concert at Radio City Music Hall. And it featured an endless array of former SNL cast members, and notable guests, including 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, Kate McKinnon, Rachel Dratch, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Cher, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Paul Simon, Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus, Tom Hanks and Paul McCartney.

Sketches included new takes on “Black Jeopardy,” “Close Encounter,” “Debbie Downer,” “Bronx Beat” meets “Coffee Talk, and “Weekend Update”.” The returning characters included Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet, Rachel Kristen as Debbie Downer, Kristin Wiig as Dooneese, Molly Shannon as Sally O’Malley, Pete Davidson as Chad, Cecily Strong as the Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party, and Bobby Moynihan’s Drunk Uncle.