An iconic late night show that has entertained audiences for over 45 years is stepping up its game for the 2021 season by using technology to expand its live audience.
What Happened: The 47th season of “Saturday Night Live” kicks off October 2 and will be livestreamed for the first time on Peacock, the streaming platform from Comcast Corporation CMCSA.
The premiere episode features Owen Wilson as the host and Kacey Musgraves as the musical guest.
Other guests for the upcoming “SNL” season include Kim Kardashian, Halsey, Rami Malek, Young Thug, Jason Sudeikis and Brandi Carlile.
Related Link: Here's Why Elon Musk Won't Win An Emmy For SNL Hosting Gig
Why It’s Important: Among the first announced guests for Season 47 are several that could bring in strong viewership figures. Kardashian is among the most followed people on social media and will likely draw a large online audience.
Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk was a guest host in Season 46 and his episode was the third most watched episode of the season with 7.3 million viewers and even helped the show win an Emmy Award.
The October 23 episode features returning "SNL" cast member Sudeikis, who was on the show from 2005 to 2013. The two most watched episodes in Season 46 were those hosted by another former “SNL” cast member Chris Rock, along with Dave Chappelle.
The Musk-hosted episode was the first to feature a global livestream, with the episode airing on Alphabet Inc GOOGGOOGL unit YouTube.
Many Americans have cut the cord and chosen to watch live and on-demand programming on streaming platforms. Some do not have access to “SNL” until the next day via platforms like Hulu. By airing on Peacock live, the show could pick up some new viewers and increase its live viewership figure, which in return could boost advertising sales.
“SNL” is expected to get $180,000 per 30-second advertisement this season, an increase from the past season. The show made $123 million in advertising revenue in 2020, up from $114.7 million in the prior year.
Peacock saw a surge in streaming app downloads around the 2020 Summer Olympics and the release of “The Boss Baby 2: Family Business.” Time will tell if Season 47 of “SNL” could also provide a boost in Peacock’s streaming figures.
Photo: Courtesy of Unsplash
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