How to Watch SNL Live Tonight For Free to See Kate McKinnon & Billie Eilish
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Saturday Night Live is back on! NBC’s Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase returned for its 49th season of original skits, big laughs and a new line-up of celebrity guests.
“SNL is the most Emmy-nominated show in history and holds 93 Emmy wins (including awards for its specials and short form series). “SNL” has been honored twice (1990 and 2009) with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The show continues to garner the highest ratings and largest audience of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week on linear and digital platforms,” reads NBC’s website.
SNL broadcasts live from NBC’s famed Studio 8H in New York City’s Rockefeller Center, and is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios with Lorne Michaels as the executive producer.
The season premiere kicked off on October 14, 2023 with Pete Davidson as host, followed by celebs Bad Bunny, Timothée Chalamet, Nate Bargatze, Jason Momoa, Emma Stone and Adam Driver hosting the consecutive shows.
Kate McKinnon is set to lead the upcoming Saturday Night Live show on December 16, 2023—it will be her first appearance on the NBC show since departing after season 47 in 2022. The musical guest will be none other than Billie Eilish, making for one unbeatable evening.
How can you watch Saturday Night Live online to see all the performances in real time? Keep reading to see the best (and most affordable) ways to watch it live.
When does Saturday Night Live air?
Saturday Night Live airs weekly on Saturday nights at 11:30pm EST, 10:30pm CST, 9:30pm MT and 8:30pm PT.
Who’s the current cast of Saturday Night Live?
The current cast of Saturday Night Live includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernández, Punkie Johnson, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, Chloe Troast, Devon Walker and Bowen Yang.
How to watch Saturday Night Live live for free
Saturday Night Live airs on NBC, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Peacock, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial and starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months). Fubo offers a seven-day free trial and starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends. Peacock and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they are cheaper per month than the other options. Peacock starts at $5.99 per month, while Hulu+ With Live TV starts at $68.99 per month and offers plans that include free subscriptions to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Best Overall Pick to Watch Saturday Night Live: DirecTV Stream
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch Saturday Night Live live for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $74.99 per month with the first three months at $64.99 per month; Choice, which costs $99.99 per month with the first three months at $89.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $109.99 per month with the first three months at $99.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $154.99 per month with the first three months at $144.99 per month.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Saturday Night Live with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com
- Click “Shop Packages”
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for NBC and start watching Saturday Night Live
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch Saturday Night Live: Fubo
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch Saturday Night Live live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $74.99 per month; Elite, which costs $84.99 per month; and Ultimate, which costs $99.99 per month.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Saturday Night Live with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for NBC and start watching Saturday Night Live
Best Budget Pick to Watch Saturday Night Live: Peacock
Peacock is our best budget pick to watch Saturday Night Live live for its price. Peacock offers two plans: Peacock Premium for $5.99 per month, and Peacock Premium Plus costs $11.99 per month.
As for the differences between the plans, Peacock Premium offers more than 80,000 hours of TV shows and movies including NBC and Peacock originals; live sports and events; current episodes of NBC and Bravo shows; and 50 live channels. Peacock Premium Plus offers everything included in Peacock Premium, as well s no ads; the ability to download and watch select titles offline; and 24/7 live access to your local NBC channel. To watch Saturday Night Live live, fans will need Peacock Premium Plus. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Saturday Night Live with Peacock.
- Visit PeacockTV.com
- Click “Get Started”
- Select your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Navigate to NBC and start watching Saturday Night Live
Best Upgrade Pick to Watch Saturday Night Live: Hulu+ Live TV
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch Saturday Night Live based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Saturday Night Live with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for NBC and start watching Saturday Night Live