SNL’s Most Popular Sketches This Season Make It Clear What Still Moves The Needle

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Saturday Night Live shines when it features a diverse group of hosts and comedic approaches. This season has already proven that, with Amy Poehler, Bad Bunny, and Sabrina Carpenter each bringing a unique style to the show. While I’ve enjoyed every episode, a review of the most popular sketches reveals a clear trend: a focus on political humor.

The way people watch Saturday Night Live has changed. While many still tune in live, a growing number are waiting to watch sketches online, especially on platforms like X and TikTok. YouTube is currently the most popular place to find SNL clips, as the show regularly uploads nearly all of its sketches shortly after they’re broadcast.

Most viewers don’t watch every sketch; they usually select the ones that seem interesting or have received positive feedback. This means some sketches are much more popular than others, and so far this season, political sketches have been the most-watched by a significant amount.

The most-watched sketch from the current season (Season 51) is the opening segment from the first episode. It features Colin Jost playing Pete Hegseth and James Austin Johnson’s incredibly accurate impression of Donald Trump. The sketch is nearing 9 million views after less than a month and is available to watch below.

I thought this sketch was quite good. It cleverly addressed a current event – Hegseth’s speech to military leaders – and most viewers found it genuinely funny. I’d rate it around 7.5 out of 10. It’s easy to see why people tuned in, but it didn’t really have that ‘standout’ quality that would suggest it would be the season’s biggest hit.

The second most popular sketch, featuring Amy Poehler as Pam Bondi and a guest appearance by Tina Fey as Kristi Noem, has over 6 million views. It’s a well-done political sketch that touches on current issues like ICE recruitment and the Epstein case, but it doesn’t really stand out as something deserving of the number two spot. It’s funny and performed well, but the audience reaction suggests it was just a good, rather than exceptional, performance. You can watch it here…

Looking at SNL’s viewership, it’s clear that millions of people watch sketches on YouTube after the show airs. Interestingly, a larger portion of these viewers are particularly interested in political content. This means political sketches on SNL have a built-in advantage – they tend to get significantly more views than sketches on other topics. If you check SNL’s YouTube channel, you’ll notice this pattern from last year as well: political sketches often reach 4 million views or more, while most other sketches fall between 1 and 3 million.

While political sketches often go viral, some of Saturday Night Live‘s most popular sketches on platforms like YouTube aren’t political at all. Think of classics like ‘Celebrity Jeopardy,’ ‘David S. Pumpkins,’ ‘Black Jeopardy,’ and Adam Driver’s hilarious ‘Kylo Ren on Undercover Boss.’ SNL can still generate widespread buzz around any topic, as seen with the recent ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ sketch. However, these are exceptions. These sketches become hugely popular not because of regular SNL viewers, but because people share them with friends and on social media.

Regardless of your interest in politics, Saturday Night Live has consistently offered a variety of humor targeting different audiences. The recent ratings suggest they’ll continue to include political sketches, but they’ll remain just one part of the show’s broader comedic mix.

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2025-10-26 18:38