NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Scores 8-Year High for Most-Watched Week 3 Telecast

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE has generated its most-watched Week 3 telecast in eight years , according to "live plus same day" official-national ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

The Oct. 15 edition of "Saturday Night Live," with host Emily Blunt and musical guest Bruno Mars, averaged 7.016 million viewers, highest for the third "SNL" of a new fall season since Sept. 27, 2006, when an episode featuring host Anna Faris and musical guest Duffy averaged 7.854 million.

The 7.016 million viewers is a jump of +22% or 1.3 million persons over the 5.749 million "SNL" averaged last year with October originals.

In adults 18-49, last weekend's "Saturday Night Live" averaged a 1.98 rating, 9 share in L+SD, best for a Week 3 "SNL" since Oct. 12, 2013 (2.09 with host Bruce Willis and musical guest Katy Perry). Versus the show's October 2015 average for originals, the Oct. 8 telecast is up +13% in 18-49 (1.98 vs. 1.75).

The show's Oct. 1 season premiere, hosted by Margot Robbie and featuring musical guest The Weeknd as well as the first appearance by Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, averaged 8.297 million viewers overall and a 2.34 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49 in "live plus same day" Nielsens.

In "live plus seven day" ratings, the Oct. 1 season premiere grew to 12.194 million viewers overall, best for an "SNL" debut in 22 years (since Sept. 24, 1994, 12.201 viewers with host Steve Martin and musical guest Eric Clapton). In 18-49, the season premiere grew to a 3.84 rating in L+7, best for an "SNL" opener in eight years (since Sept. 13, 2008, 4.94 with host Michael Phelps, musical guest Lil Wayne and Tina Fey as Gov. Sarah Palin).

The season's Week 2 telecast on Oct. 8, with host Lin-Manuel Miranda and musical guest Twenty One Pilots, averaged 7.140 million viewers in L+SD Nielsens, highest for a Week 2 "SNL" since Oct. 9, 2004, when an episode featuring host and musical guest Queen Latifah averaged 7.640 million. In adults 18-49, the Oct. 8 "Saturday Night Live" (2.11/10) earned the best rating for a Week 2 "SNL" since Oct. 5, 2013 (2.66 with host and musical guest Miley Cyrus).

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