SNL: How to watch Elon Musk host as Saturday Night Live streams on YouTube in historic first

SNL is exceptionally enabling international viewers to stream the show in real time

Saturday Night Live is returning tonight (8 May), with Elon Musk hosting the 18th episode of this 46th season.

After a few remote episodes last year during the coronavirus pandemic, the SNL cast is back in its New York City studio, where the show has been filming live since October 2020.

Created by Lorne Michaels, SNL has aired since 1975 on NBC.

The aptly named show airs on Saturday nights, almost weekly, from September to May. Hosts and musical guests are typically announced piecemeal by NBC, often three at a time.

Here is everything you need to know about the next episode of SNL:

When is the next episode?

SNL returns with a new episode on 8 May.

Who’s hosting the next episode?

Elon Musk – yes, the Tesla CEO – will host the next episode of SNL on 8 May. This will be the billionaire’s hosting debut on the sketch show.

NBC made the announcement on 24 April, in a tweet that also revealed Miley Cyrus as the accompanying musical guest.

Some of the SNL cast members appeared to react negatively – and somewhat cryptically – to the news of Musk’s hosting gig on social media.

What time does SNL air?

SNL airs from 11:30pm ET to 1am ET (8:30pm PT to 10pm PT), for a total duration of 90 minutes.

On rare occasions, the show might air with a delay due to sporting events broadcast ahead of it.

That was the case on 7 November 2020, when an episode hosted by Dave Chappelle started about 40 minutes behind schedule after a college football game between Clemson and Notre Dame went into overtime.

How can I watch?

Viewers in the US can watch SNL live on NBC. The show is available to stream on Hulu, with each episode being added to the platform the day after the TV broadcast. All seasons of SNL can be streamed on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.

In the UK, SNL airs on Sky Comedy at 9pm on Sundays, the day after the US broadcast. However, for this episode, SNL is also enabling international viewers to exceptionally stream the programme in real time on YouTube via this link.

“SNL is a global phenomenon and this livestream marks the first time audiences around the world will experience the show simultaneously along with the US,” Frances Berwick, chairman of entertainment networks at NBCUniversal television and streaming, told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “It’s incredibly exciting to create this worldwide event with host Elon Musk and musical guest Miley Cyrus. We thank our international partners and YouTube for helping us make it happen.”