How to Watch ‘SNL’ Live Without a Cable Subscription

Live from New York…It’s finally time for the new season of Saturday Night Live. As always, SNL returns to Studio 8H this weekend for its 50th season premiere, featuring Emmy Award-winning host Jean Smart. The “Hacks” star will be joined by musical guest Jelly Roll and may even feature some special guests.

Overview: How to watch SNL online

Stream: DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Peacock

“The premiere of the 50th season of SNL. BRB going to cry for a few hours and call every family member I have. Bringing therapeutic music to my favorite show ever. God is Good.” Jelly Roll said in a caption on Instagram.

Don’t want to miss any of the musical performances or fun skits? Here’s your guide to watching SNL for free, from streaming SNL online on DirecTV Stream or Hulu + Live TV to watching live TV on NBC.

How to watch Saturday Night Live without cable

If you have a cable package or access to a local TV network like NBC, you should be able to watch Saturday Night Live right away when it airs on TV this weekend.

Don’t have cable TV yet and don’t want to commit to a contract? You can purchase an antenna that connects to your TV and uses it to receive local channels. A top-notch TV antenna like this affordable option below is just the ticket. It should have a range of over 200 miles and be able to receive channels like NBC, so you’ll be able to watch SNL on your TV.

How to watch SNL online

You don’t need a traditional cable connection to watch Saturday Night Live every weekend. Below, we’ve found some of the best streaming services to watch the new season of SNL and all previous seasons online.

Watch SNL for free on DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers streaming access to local channels, including NBC, starting at $79.98 per month with the DirecTV Stream entertainment package. You can also take advantage of a 5-day free trial to watch SNL for free without cable and access over 90 channels.

Watch SNL for free on Hulu + Live TV

One of the best live streaming options to watch Saturday Night Live online is Hulu + Live TV. You can stream SNL with Hulu + Live TV. This package costs just $76.99 per month with live TV channels, including NBC, so you can watch SNL live online. The service also offers a three-day free trial.

If you don’t mind waiting until Sunday, you can stream SNL for free with your regular Hulu subscription, so you can watch Saturday Night Live online the day after it airs. Hulu offers a 30-day free trial of its on-demand package. Once the free streaming month is over, the price will increase to $7.99 per month.

Watch SNL for free on fuboTV

NBC isn’t the only place you can watch Saturday Night Live. To stream SNL, you can sign up for a free trial of fuboTV. The service’s Pro package costs $79.99 per month, but you can get your first month for just $49.99. The fuboTV Pro package lets you watch up to 192 channels with your subscription and includes unlimited DVR storage, so you can watch SNL both live and on-demand in case you miss it while it’s airing. You can also watch fuboTV on up to 10 devices at the same time.

Watch SNL on Peacock

Subscribe to a Peacock Premium subscription and watch SNL every weekend starting the day after it airs for just $7.99 per month. Once you sign up for an account, you can easily add all available scheduled shows to your watchlist and watch them on demand whenever they’re ready to stream. Another great reason to sign up for Peacock is that it provides a one-stop shop for all your SNL streaming needs, as all past seasons of the show stream there.

Who’s hosting SNL this weekend?

Smart will host the 50th season premiere of Saturday Night Live with musical guest Jelly Roll. The SNL premiere will air on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The two appeared in a promo clip for the season premiere, with Smart previewing a possible special guest, who turned out to be Maya Rudolph, who will be returning this season as Vice President Kamala Harris.

This October, comedian Nate Bargatze will return to host with musical guest Coldplay on October 5. Leading up to Wicked, Ariana Grande will host with musical guest Stevie Nicks on October 12. Michael Keaton and John Mulaney will also host episodes, featuring Billie Eilish and Rolling Stone cover star Chappell Roan.

How to watch every season of SNL

If you have a Peacock Premium account, watching previous SNL skits and episodes is actually very easy. You can stream previous SNL episodes on demand, including episodes from the first season in 1975. If you want to watch just a specific skit but don’t know where to start, here’s our ultimate guide to the 50 best SNL skits of all time.