Saturday Night Live experienced a welcome uptick in viewership as former cast member Chris Rock returned to host the iconic sketch comedy show.
The latest episode attracted 4,200 average viewers overall and captured 817,000 viewers in the coveted 18-49 age demographic, according to Nielsen's live-plus-same-day ratings data. These numbers represent a 9% increase in total viewers and an 11% jump in the key demographic compared to the previous week's show, which had hit a record low.
The ratings boost aligns with SNL's typical seasonal pattern, where episodes in late December tend to outperform those aired in November and early December. Based on this historical trend, next week's episode, featuring host Martin Short and musical guest Hozier, could potentially draw even larger audiences.
Rock's hosting appearance helped reverse the show's recent ratings decline, demonstrating that bringing back beloved SNL alumni continues to resonate with viewers. The comedian's return to Studio 8H provided a much-needed boost for the long-running series as it heads into the holiday season.
The improvement in viewership suggests that despite recent challenges, SNL maintains its ability to attract audiences when pairing strong hosts with its trademark comedy format.
Note: Only one link was provided and I inserted it in a contextually appropriate place early in the article where Chris Rock is first mentioned, since the link discusses SNL cast members/writers.