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Ratings Update: Eddie Murphy, Lizzo “SNL” Hits 11-Year Viewership High In L+7

The December 21 “Saturday Night Live” received a big DVR lift.

Featuring host Eddie Murphy and musical guest Lizzo, the December 21 edition of “Saturday Night Live” drew a massive live+same-day audience. For that metric, it ranked as the most-watched episode since May 2017.

As strong as it was live, “SNL” fared proportionately better on the delayed viewership front.

According to a press blast from NBC, the show drew 16.29 million viewers on a live+7 basis (live + 7 nights of DVR). It meanwhile scored a strong 4.4 adults 18-49 rating in live+7.

The live+7 viewership mark is the show’s best since the October 18, 2008 episode with host Josh Brolin and musical guest Adele (which also featured a cameo from Sarah Palin). The adults 18-49 rating is the show’s best since the February 11, 2017 episode with host Alec Baldwin and musical guest Ed Sheeran.

NBC adds that the live+7 viewership lift is the biggest ever for a “Saturday Night Live” episode — and the best for any broadcast network TV show since the November 5, 2018 edition of “Manifest.”

The adults 18-49 lift is the best posted by a network show since the November 20, 2018 “This Is Us.”

The broadcast additionally delivered all-time “SNL” highs for episodic streaming on NBC Digital and Hulu as well as YouTube views.

Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002. Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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