Bowen Yang's final episode of 'Saturday Night Live' on December 20 attracted 5.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode in over a year. The episode, hosted by Ariana Grande with musical guest Cher, also marked Yang's departure after joining as a writer in 2018 and becoming the show's first Asian cast member in 2019.
This audience figure is second only to Grande's previous hosting stint in October 2024, which drew 5.6 million viewers. That episode, with musical guest Stevie Nicks, was the show's biggest since Elon Musk hosted in May 2021. During Season 50, John Mulaney's November episode outperformed Grande's with 6.8 million viewers.
Before Grande's latest hosting, the Season 51 premiere on October 4, featuring Bad Bunny and Doja Cat, was the most-watched with 4.6 million viewers. On Peacock, Bad Bunny's episode remains the season's top performer, followed by Grande's.
The December 20 episode also marked the biggest Christmas episode since 2020, when Kristen Wiig hosted with Dua Lipa, achieving 6.6 million viewers. Social media engagement for Grande's episode reached 503 million views across platforms by December 23, surpassing all Season 50 episodes.
'SNL' returns on January 17 with Finn Wolfhard hosting and A$AP Rocky as musical guest.
