SNL Hits Season Highs and Best October Overnights since 2008

In Late-Night Metered-Market Ratings for Saturday Night:

The Oct. 22 edition of "Saturday Night Live" has delivered season-high ratings in both metered-market households and adults 18-49 in the local people meters, scoring its best results for any October telecast in eight years.

Last night's "Saturday Night Live," with host Tom Hanks and musical guest Lady Gaga, generated a 6.1 rating, 15 share in "live plus same day" household results from the 56 local markets metered by Nielsen Media Research and a 3.0/14 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

These are the show's highest ratings so far this season, topping the previous highs set with the season premiere on Oct. 1 (5.8/15 in metered-market households, 2.7/14 in 18-49 in the local people meters).

For an October edition, they're the highest "Saturday Night Live" overnights since Oct. 25, 2008 (7.1/16 in metered-market households, 4.0 rating in 18-49 in the local people meters with host Jon Hamm and musical guest Coldplay).

Last night's telecast is up +45% versus the show's October 2015 average for originals in metered-market households (6.1 vs. 4.2) and up +50% in 18-49 in the local people meters (3.0 vs. 2.0 for October 2015).

Counting all "Saturday Night Live" telecasts, it's the top-rated in metered-market households since Nov. 7, 2015 and highest in 18-49 in the local people meters since Dec. 21, 2013.

National ratings, including viewer totals, for last night's "Saturday Night Live" are due from Nielsen on Tuesday.

· Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, with the Oct. 1 season premiere growing by +3.897 million viewers overall going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" official-national Nielsens (8.297 million to 12.194 million) and by +64% in national adult 18-49 rating (2.34 to 3.84). That made it the most-watched "SNL" season debut in 22 years (since Sept. 24, 1994, 12.201 viewers with host Steve Martin and musical guest Eric Clapton) and highest-rated in 18-49 since 2008 (4.94).

This year's Week 2 "Saturday Night Live" on Oct. 8 with host Lin-Manuel Miranda and musical guest Twenty One Pilots averaged a 5.2/13 in metered-market households and 2.4/12 in 18-49 in the local people meters, while the season's third telecast on Oct. 15, with host Emily Blunt and musical guest Bruno Mars, generated a 5.0/12 in metered-market households and a 2.3/12 in 18-49 in the local people meters.

Saturday Primetime Ratings:

The 2013 feature film "Identity Theft" (0.6/2 in 18-49, 2.4 million viewers overall from 8:30-11 p.m. ET):

· Grew +75% from its first half-hour to its fifth in 18-49 (0.4 to 0.7) and +56% or +1.0 million persons in total viewers (1.8 million to 2.8 million).

· For its final hour from 10-11 p.m. ET, ranked #2 among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, women 18-49 and women 18-34 and tied for #2 in adults 25-54.

An encore telecast of "Superstore" averaged a 0.3/1 in 18-49 and 1.6 million viewers overall from 8-8:30 p.m. ET.

NOTE: Ratings are "live plus same day" from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.

To post a comment, you must register and login.