NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Debut is Biggest Premiere in 8 Years

The 42nd season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" has delivered a +31% increase on its season-opening viewership of one year ago to deliver the show's most-watched season debut in eight years, according to "live plus same day" official national viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

With a telecast hosted by Margot Robbie and featuring musical guest The Weeknd, as well as appearances by Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump and Larry David as Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Oct. 1 "Saturday Night Live" averaged 8.297 million viewers, up +31% or nearly 2 million persons from last year's 6.323 million for the Oct. 3, 2015 season-opening telecast.

It's the highest total-viewer average for a "Saturday Night Live" season premiere since Sept. 13, 2008, when the telecast, which was hosted by Michael Phelps and featured musical guest Lil Wayne as well as an appearance by Tina Fey as Gov. Sarah Palin, averaged 10.151 million viewers overall.

In adults 18-49, the 42nd "Saturday Night Live" season premiere averaged a 2.34 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49, for a +29% increase on the year-ago debut (1.82). It's the highest-rated "SNL" season premiere in 18-49 since Sept. 28, 2013 (2.39 with host Tina Fey and musical guest Arcade Fire).

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