‘SNL50’: How the Celebration of a Golden TV Milestone Became a Test for NBCUniversal

variety.com:

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor The years-long road that led to last week’s “SNL50” events was more than a complex programming campaign for NBCUniversal.

It was a test of the company’s pipes. The Feb. 14 “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” held at Radio City Music Hall, and Feb. 16 “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” are pitch-perfect examples of the kind of distinctive live events that NBCU is counting on to deliver lucrative mass audiences amid the ever-increasing fragmentation of TV viewership. Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes SNL50 Photos Below As of Feb.

21, with a few days of delayed viewing and social activity factored in, the anniversary and concert specials, plus the Feb. 16 “SNL50 : The Red Carpet” telecast, have reached 220 million viewers with 3.9 billion minutes viewed across NBC, Peacock, digital and social, according to NBCU research.

The anniversary special, which ran nearly three and a half hours, has been seen by about 20 million viewers, with NBC accounting for about 16 million.