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Why SNL Still Matters to NBC
Network TV may be fighting for its life, but not on Saturday night.
Of course, like almost every other entertainment program on broadcast or cable today, SNL ’s Nielsen numbers are mostly down from where they were before streaming upended the industry about a decade ago — particularly among the younger cohort of viewers who shifted away from linear TV fastest. While the many specific (and monetizable) benefits SNL provides to NBC are what matter most to the numbers-crunchers at the network’s parent company, it’s worth noting that a not-insignificant chunk of the show’s value is, for lack of a better phrase, vibes-based. But instead of the chilly AI and algorithms of Netflix, SNL uses the human curation of Michaels and his ever-evolving troupe of writers and performers to produce a weekly package of comedy content designed to attract the attention of millions of viewers.
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