James Franco-Hosted SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Delivers 2nd Highest Rating This Season

This week's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, with host James Franco and musical guest Nicki Minaj (4.4 rating, 11 share in household results in the 56 markets metered by Nielsen Media Research; 2.2/10 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with Local People Meters) delivered the show's second highest rating in metered-market households so far this season, trailing only the Nov. 1 telecast (with host Chris Rock and musical guest Prince, 4.9/12).

· It's also the show's second highest rating in metered-market households since March 1 (with host Jim Parsons and musical guest Beck, 4.6/12).

Saturday Primetime Results:

· From 8-11 p.m., an encore telecast of the 1946 movie classic 'It's a Wonderful Life' (0.7/2 in 18-49, 3.9 million viewers) equaled NBC's highest Saturday 18-49 primetime average of the season, best since the Purdue-Notre Dame COLLEGE FOOTBALL telecast on Sept. 13 scored a 0.9.

· From its first half-hour to its sixth, 'It's a Wonderful Life' grew by +80% in adults 18-49 (from a 0.5 to a 0.9), +75% in adults 25-54 (0.8 to 1.4) and +67% or more than 2.0 million persons in total viewers (3.0 million to 5.1 million).

· 'It's a Wonderful Life' finished within a tenth of a rating point of its most recent Saturday telecast two years ago (0.8 on Dec. 1, 2012) and retained 92% of that telecast in total viewers (3.859 million vs. 4.177 million).

· This is NBC's 37th primetime telecast of 'It's a Wonderful Life,' directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, since the movie was brought to broadcast network television in 1994.

NOTE: All ratings are 'live plus same day' from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.