NBC is probably wishing 40th anniversaries came along more often. The network's thee-and-a-half hour Sunday special to commemorate 40 years of Saturday Night Live did boffo in the ratings.
Read More The Hollywood Reporter's SNL40 Cover
Fast National returns from Nielsen Media give the three hours that aired in primetime an average 7.8 rating among adults 18-49 and 23.1 million viewers. (The final numbers, which will include the last half-hour, will likely be somewhat smaller.) Not far off from CBS' showing last Sunday night with the Grammy Awards, the massive haul rivaled many outings of the network's Sunday Night Football franchise.
In fact, it currently stands as the network’s top-rated primetime entertainment telecast, excluding post-Super Bowl programs, since the Will & Grace finale more than eight years ago. It also easily outdid the network's huge showing in 2013 for The Sound of Music Live, likely stoking the flames that are already thirsty for more live programming across the broadcast networks.
More to come...
