Summary:
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Olivia Rodrigo’s “SNL” debut drew 5 million viewers, marking a 20% increase from the previous week.
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She performed new singles, “drop dead” and “begged,” from her upcoming album as both host and musical guest.
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Rodrigo’s episode is the season’s second highest-rated, behind Ariana Grande’s, with Bad Bunny’s premiere ranking third.
Olivia Rodrigo’s first turn hosting “Saturday Night Live” delivered one of the season’s biggest audiences, with the May 2 episode averaging 5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Live+Same Day data.
The 23-year-old pop star pulled double duty as host and musical guest, debuting new singles “drop dead” and “begged” from her forthcoming third album.
The episode marked a 20 percent jump in total audience and a 31 percent increase in the 18-49 demographic compared with the previous week, drawing 1.1 million viewers in the advertiser-coveted demo.
Rodrigo’s debut now stands as the second-highest-rated episode of Season 51, behind only Ariana Grande’s Dec. 20 Christmas episode, which averaged 5.4 million viewers and featured musical guest Cher. Together, the two pop stars have anchored the season’s strongest ratings performances.
The Bad Bunny-hosted season premiere on Oct. 4 ranks third with 4.6 million viewers.
Linear ratings tell only part of the story. Live+Same Day figures exclude Peacock streaming, social platforms and YouTube performance, where younger audiences increasingly watch sketches on demand.
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“SNL” returns this weekend with host Matt Damon and musical guest Noah Kahan, the second of three remaining Season 51 episodes.
