You're sitting on your couch, it’s Sunday morning, and you really need to see that Weekend Update clip everyone is losing their minds over on X. You open Hulu, type in those three famous letters, and... nothing. Or maybe just a few clips. It feels like a glitch, right? For years, Hulu was the unofficial home of Saturday Night Live. If you missed the live broadcast on NBC, you just waited until the next day and watched the whole thing while eating brunch. But things changed. Hard.
The short answer is no, you won't find full, current episodes of Saturday Night Live on Hulu anymore. It’s a bummer, honestly. The long-standing deal between NBCUniversal and Hulu officially dissolved a couple of years back, moving the show's streaming rights almost exclusively to Peacock.
Why did SNL leave Hulu anyway?
It basically comes down to the "Streaming Wars." NBCUniversal, which owns the rights to Saturday Night Live, decided they didn't want to share their crown jewel with a competitor like Hulu (which is controlled by Disney) anymore. They needed a reason for people to sign up for Peacock. Pulling the most iconic late-night show in history was the nuclear option that worked.
Back in the day, Hulu was actually co-owned by the big networks, including NBC. It made sense to put everything in one place. But as Disney took the wheel at Hulu, NBC decided to take their ball and go home. That "home" is Peacock. Now, if you search for is SNL on Hulu, you might find some legacy clips or specific anniversary specials depending on your add-ons, but the weekly ritual of watching the full episode on that platform is dead and buried.
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The Peacock Pivot: Where the show lives now
If you want the full SNL experience, you have to go to Peacock. There’s no way around it. They have every single season. I'm talking all the way back to 1975. You can see a terrifyingly young Bill Murray or watch the original "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" whenever you want.
- Live Streaming: If you have a Peacock Premium Plus subscription, you can actually stream the show live as it airs. This is a game-changer for cord-cutters who don't have an antenna or a cable package.
- Next-Day Access: For those who actually like sleeping at 11:30 PM on a Saturday, the full episode usually drops on Peacock by 6:00 AM ET the following morning.
- The "Clips" Loophole: YouTube is still the king of short-form SNL. If you only care about the digital shorts or the cold open, the SNL YouTube channel is incredibly fast. They usually have the best sketches uploaded within an hour of them airing.
It's weirdly fragmented. You’ve got the full library on one app and the "viral" moments on another.
What about Hulu + Live TV?
This is where people get confused. If you pay for the very expensive Hulu + Live TV tier (which is basically a cable replacement), you can watch SNL live when it airs on your local NBC station. You can also record it to your cloud DVR.
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But—and this is a big "but"—that isn't the same as SNL being "on" Hulu as a streaming title. If you don't record it, or if you only have the basic $7.99 or $14.99 Hulu plans, you’re out of luck. You’re essentially paying for a digital antenna service that happens to be inside the Hulu app.
The weird history of SNL streaming rights
Streaming SNL has always been a mess because of the music. Have you ever noticed that some older episodes on streaming services are weirdly short? Or that the musical guest's performance is missing?
That’s because of licensing. When SNL first aired, nobody was thinking about "on-demand streaming" in 2026. The contracts didn't cover these rights. For a long time, this made putting old seasons on platforms like Hulu or Netflix a legal nightmare. Peacock has done a better job of clearing these rights, but even now, you'll occasionally see "Edited for Content" or find that a specific sketch featuring a famous pop song has been scrubbed from the digital version. It's a preservationist's nightmare.
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Is it worth switching apps just for one show?
Honestly, it depends on how much of a superfan you are. If you just want to see the "hits," stick to YouTube. It’s free. It’s easy. You don't have to deal with Peacock's sometimes-clunky interface.
However, if you're the type of person who wants to see the sketches that didn't go viral—the weird, ten-to-one sketches that usually feature the best writing—you need the full episodes. There's a specific rhythm to an SNL episode that you lose when you just watch individual clips. You miss the context of the host's energy and the way the show builds.
How to watch SNL for free (or cheap)
Let's say you're boycotting Peacock but still want your fix. You have a few options:
- The NBC App: Sometimes, the most recent episode is available to stream for free on the NBC app for a limited window, though they usually require a TV provider login after a few days.
- Over-the-Air (OTA) Antenna: This is the "old school" way. A $20 digital antenna from Amazon will get you NBC in high definition for free. Forever. No monthly fee. No login. No "is SNL on Hulu" Googling.
- YouTube: As mentioned, the SNL YouTube channel is the most efficient way to stay in the cultural loop without spending a dime.
The verdict on the Hulu-SNL relationship
The breakup is final. Don't expect SNL to return to Hulu anytime soon. NBC is betting the farm on Peacock, and they aren't going to give away their best content to a rival. The era of the "everything bucket" streaming service is over. Now, we're in the era of "I have fifteen different $10 subscriptions."
If you're looking for Lorne Michaels' brainchild, head to Peacock or grab an antenna. Hulu is for The Bear and Only Murders in the Building now.
Your Saturday Night Live Action Plan
- Audit your current subs: Check if you’re paying for Hulu + Live TV. If you are, just set a series recording for SNL and you’re golden.
- Download the YouTube App: Subscribe to the official SNL channel and hit the notification bell. You’ll get the sketches pushed to your phone by 1:00 AM on Sunday.
- Consider the Peacock "Black Friday" deals: Usually, around November, Peacock drops their price to about $1.99 a month for a year. That is the absolute best time to grab it specifically for the SNL archives.
- Get an antenna: If you live in a city, a basic leaf antenna will give you the live broadcast in better quality than most compressed streams can offer.