Ryan Gosling helps SNL break viewer slump: All time record achieved

On April 13, ahead of the May 3 premiere of The Fall Guy, an episode was aired to heighten anticipation, featuring unexpected appearances from Kate McKinnon, Emily Blunt, and more.

Ryan Gosling's third stint as host on Saturday Night Live made headlines by smashing a significant streaming record. Airing on April 13 to boost anticipation for The Fall Guy, set to premiere on May 3, the episode boasted appearances by surprise guests Kate McKinnon, Emily Blunt, and Caitlin Clark, alongside musical guest Chris Stapleton.

What made it more hilarious was the character breaks in the 'Beevis and Butthead’ sketch. Cast member Heidi Gardner, bursting out in laughter every few seconds really made audiences giggle up. The sketch was hailed as one of the finest in recent memory and swiftly cemented its place among Saturday Night Live's legendary moments.

According to Variety, Ryan Gosling's Saturday Night Live episode has broken records on Peacock as the most-viewed episode to date. Though the precise Peacock viewership figures are unavailable, the episode garnered 8.9 million viewers across various platforms within a week. This surge contrasts with the initial 1.7 million viewers on Saturday night, as reported by Nielsen and NBC. This achievement signifies the show's strongest viewership since December 2021, featuring Billie Eilish as host and musical guest, and November 2022, with Dave Chappelle and Foo Fighters.

The episode also marked its strongest 18-49 rating since November 12, 2022, featuring Dave Chappelle and Black Star according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The episode continues to thrive on social media, amassing 170 million video views within a week. Various platforms contribute to this count, ranging from brief seconds to 30-second clips. Notably, on YouTube alone, several clips from the episode have surpassed a million views, with the Beavis and Butt-head sketch leading at 12 million views at the time of reporting.

Apart from Gosling, this season of "SNL" has welcomed a diverse lineup of hosts, including familiar faces like Pete Davidson and Kristen Wiig, along with others like Ramy Youssef, Dakota Johnson, and more. The show will resume on May 4th with Dua Lipa taking on both hosting and musical duties.