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[05/14/17 - 10:25 AM]
"Saturday Night Live" Delivers Its Most-Watched May Telecast in Seven Years
NBC spins the numbers for Saturday, May 13.
[via press release from NBC]

"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" DELIVERS ITS MOST-WATCHED MAY TELECAST IN SEVEN YEARS

With Host Melissa McCarthy & Musical Guest Haim, "SNL" Ties the Highest 18-49 Rating for Any Entertainment Program On The Broadcast Nets in the Last Seven Weeks

It's the #2 "SNL" of the Season in Total Viewers and #3 in 18-49

NEW YORK - May 14, 2017 - "Saturday Night Live" has equaled the highest-rated primetime entertainment show on the broadcast networks in the last seven weeks in adults 18-49 and delivered the most-watched "SNL" May telecast in the last seven years.

The May 13 edition of "Saturday Night Live," with host Melissa McCarthy and musical guest Haim, averaged 10.337 million viewers overall and a 2.74 rating in adults 18-49 in "fast official" "live plus same day" results from Nielsen Media Research.

The telecast, which aired live coast to coast (11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT) and counted unduplicated viewers from 11:30 encores in western markets, generated the show's biggest overall audience for a May edition since May 8, 2010, (with host Betty White and musical guest Jay Z, 12.052 million). In 18-49, it's a high for a May "SNL" in six years, since the May 21, 2011 season finale (3.68 with host Justin Timberlake and musical guest Lady Gaga).

With its 2.74 rating in adults 18-49, the May 13 "Saturday Night Live" ties as the #1 telecast so far this week on the broadcast networks in adult 18-49 rating, matching CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (2.74 on Thursday night).

Among all broadcast primetime entertainment programs, last night's 2.74 rating for "Saturday Night Live" ties the highest in the seven weeks since the March 22 telecast of Fox's "Empire" (2.82).

It's the #2 "Saturday Night Live" of the season in total viewers, behind only the Feb. 11 edition (10.843 million viewers with host Alec Baldwin and musical guest Ed Sheeran) and the #3 "SNL" of the season in 18-49, behind only the Feb. 11 telecast (3.10) and the Nov. 12 episode, the first to follow the fall election (3.10 with host Dave Chappelle and musical guest A Tribe Called Quest).

Versus what "Saturday Night Live" averaged with originals for the month of May last year, this week's telecast is up +71% in adults 18-49 (with a 2.74 rating vs. a 1.60) and +5.1 million persons or +98% in total viewers (10.337 million vs. 5.233 million for the month of May 2016).

The 2.74 rating in adults 18-49 beats 18 of last season's 19 "Saturday Night Live" originals and the 10.337 million viewers overall tops all 19 first-runs from last season.

Note that "SNL" adds significant viewership via time-shifting, with the 18 originals so far this season growing by +61% in 18-49 and +3.425 million persons or +46% in total viewers going from "live plus same day" Nielsens to "live plus seven day" figures. In L+SD, "SNL" this season has averaged a 2.18 rating in 18-49 and 7.527 million viewers overall, and in L+7, "SNL" has grown to a 3.51 in 18-49 and 10.952 million viewers.

Versus the same point last season, "SNL" originals are up +25% in 18-49 (3.51 vs. 2.80) and +2.588 million persons or +31% in total viewers (10.952 million vs. 8.364 million).

The average 10.952 million viewers in L+7 makes this the show's most-watched season at this point in 23 years (versus prior seasons' original telecasts through comparable dates), best since 1993-94 (11.213 million for that season's first 19 originals).

The 3.51 average in L+7 adults 18-49 rating average is the show's best performances in the demo at this point since 2008-09 (3.93 for that season's first 20 originals).





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