Saturday Night Live UK is marking its first month on air with major digital traction, according to Deadline, even as traditional ratings show a noticeable decline. The Sky adaptation of NBC’s long‑running sketch series has surpassed 86 million views across its official platforms on YouTube, Instagram Reels, X/Twitter, and TikTok, a number that does not include reposted clips circulating on unofficial SNL accounts.
Instagram Reels has become the strongest driver of engagement, generating 55 million views, with 16 videos surpassing one million streams, according to Deadline. The most‑watched clip features Tina Fey (30 Rock, Mean Girls) as Mary Poppins, which has reached 9.6 million views, while Fey’s opening monologue leads YouTube performance with 2.7 million views.
“The Last Supper,” featuring Jack Shep’s (The Emily Atack Show, The Stand Up Sketch Show) viral portrayal of Princess Diana, is currently the most‑viewed sketch on both YouTube and Reels, according to Deadline. The sketch has earned 2.6 million views on YouTube and 5.3 million on Reels, continuing the show’s strong online momentum.
Despite the digital success, full episodes on Sky’s streaming service NOW are not appearing in overnights.tv reports, suggesting extremely low streaming numbers, according to Deadline. Sky is using SNL UK as a promotional tool for its platform, but the company declined to comment on internal data.
Television ratings tell a more mixed story, with the premiere drawing 226,000 overnight viewers, rising to 528,000 after seven‑day viewing and 784,000 with repeats, according to Deadline. By episode four, hosted by Jack Whitehall (Bad Education, Jungle Cruise), seven‑day viewing had fallen to 371,700, a drop of roughly 30% from the debut.
There is growth among younger audiences, with viewership in the 25–34 demographic rising from 95,000 during the premiere to 126,300 by episode four, according to Deadline. The series, led by producer James Longman, returns this Saturday with Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) and the Foo Fighters.