SNL Season 47 Premiere is Lowest Rated Episode in Series History

Saturday Night Live is back for its 47th season on NBC, and…well, it looks like not many people know it. Nielsen ratings have come in for the weekend. As it turns out, the SNL Season 47 Premiere isn’t only the lowest-rated opening in the show’s history, but it’s the least-watched episode of all time.

According to Nielsen, the premiere drew a 0.92 rating in the always-coveted 18-49 demographic with 4.9 million total viewers. Compared to the numbers to the SEason 46 premiere, those numbers were down 50-percent in the demo and 41-percent overall. That opener, hosted last year by Chris Rock, drew 8.25 million viewers.

The latest episode “beat” Keegan-Michael Key’s hosting debut last May, which scored a 0.93 in the demo.

Interestingly enough, this year marks the first time Saturday Night Live is also available to stream live on Peacock, meaning it’s plausible much of those in the demographic streamed through the platform rather than watching it on network television.

There are at least three more episodes before the show takes its first break of the season. This week features Kim Kardahsian West and Halsey (October 9th) while next week’s (October 16th) hosts include Rami Malek and Young Thug. SNL alumnus Jason Sudeikis will then return to the show on October 23rd alongside musical guest Brandi Carlile.

The series lost two cast members before this season — long-time player Beck Bennett and featured player Lauren Holt. Bennett spent eight seasons on the show while Holt departed after just one year.

“Love you, SNL. Gonna miss you so much,” Bennett shared on Instagram shortly after news of his departure surfaced. “Thank you for 8 years of remarkable people and incredible experiences that completely changed my life. I had so much fun.”