The article suggests that NBCUniversal should treat SNL UK and SNL as a unified franchise and air them back-to-back on NBC. This approach would place the British version directly in front of the exact audience NBCUniversal is already targeting across both properties, potentially increasing viewing figures and strengthening the international profile of SNL UK.
When Saturday Night Live returns for Season 52 this autumn, it will do so alongside the return of Saturday Night Live UK, which has been renewed for a second season following its successful debut this March.
Despite the UK version being broadcast on subscription service Sky TV with limited viewing figures, it has generated significant traction online, especially with viewers in the United States. With Lorne Michaels closely involved in the UK adaptation and Comcast NBCUniversal’s 2018 acquisition of Sky, both versions of SNL now sit within the same corporate structure and are closely connected behind the scenes.
Rather than allowing the two shows to operate in parallel but separately, NBCUniversal should harness the advantages of its shared ownership by treating them as a unified franchise and airing them back-to-back on NBC.
‘Saturday Night Live UK’ Should Air Before ‘Saturday Night Live’ Each Week in the U.S. SNL Season 52 is set to air later this year in the traditional 11:30 p.m. EST (4:30 a.m. BST) timeslot on NBC. Meanwhile, SNL UK returns in September, airing at 10:30 p.m. BST (5:30 p.m. ET) on Sky TV — well ahead of the original.
NBCUniversal should take advantage of this by scheduling SNL UK in the lead-in slot before the main series on the American network. Doing so would place the British version directly in front of the exact audience NBCUniversal is already targeting across both properties. It would likely increase viewing figures and strengthen the international profile of SNL UK, which could then feed back into domestic ratings through increased hype and the perception of U.S. approval.
Comedy fans are already engaging with SNL UK online and drawing comparisons with the original, so there is interest and familiarity. From a distribution perspective, this approach reduces the steps fans need to take to discover the UK series on their own — NBCUniversal can directly place it in front of SNL’s loyal weekly late-night audience before the flagship show airs.
By airing SNL UK beforehand, the conglomerate could capture viewers earlier in the evening and pull attention away from competing channels. Viewers who are already waiting for SNL are likely watching television beforehand anyway, so why not keep them within the NBC ecosystem? Related ‘SNL UK’ Is Already Fixing the American Show’s Most Exhausting Problem Lorne knows! Posts 1 By Greer Riddel
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