When Saturday Night Live (SNL) first debuted back in 1975, you had to be sitting directly in front of your console television to watch Chevy Chase, Dan Ackroyd, and John Belushi engage in their antics. Today, you can watch SNL pretty much any time and from anywhere. But, you have to know how.
Although most people watch SNL “Live from New York” at its regularly scheduled time (8:30PST/11:30EST), if you’re not a night owl, have to work late on Saturday, or don’t have cable, you might think you’re out of luck. Fortunately, you are not. Peacock is a streaming service from NBC that has SNL live every time:
You can also watch SNL online through streaming services that partner with NBC:
✔ Local Affiliates
✔ Big on Sports
✔ 50 Hour DVR
✔ Available on All Devices
✔ Lots of Live Sports
✔ Competitive Pricing
FuboTV has SNL
FuboTV might be known for its extensive selection of MLB, NBA, and NFL shows and sports channels, but this up-and-coming streaming service offers so much more. You can watch SNL live or on-demand through the site or app via your streaming device. FuboTV is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Samsung Smart televisions, Xbox, Chromecast, and many other popular devices. If you don’t want to wait two or three days for on-demand viewing, FuboTV also gives you 250 hours of cloud storage space to save your favorite shows to watch when you’re ready. FuboTV is similar to a standard cable service, and its starter plan is $64.99 per month. For this price, you get more than 100 channels and access to hundreds of 4K events throughout the year. The best part is that you can stream from three screens at once, so everyone gets to binge-watch their guilty pleasures.
Stream SNL on Hulu Live
With plans starting at just $5.99 per month, Hulu is one of the most affordable streaming services out there. And, you can easily watch SNL online from the Hulu app without paying for extra equipment or an installation fee. Do keep in mind, however, that Hulu’s basic package comes with ads, and you can’t download shows to watch offline. And, if you want live television, Hulu+Live TV is priced similarly to FuboTV. Hulu is compatible with both Android and iPhone as well as PlayStation, Xbox, and even the Echo Show, Amazon’s video smart hub. Sign up today for your free seven-day trial, and look for discounts on bundles with ESPN+ and Disney+.
Watch Saturday Night Live on Sling (Live)
Sling TV currently has 451 episodes of Saturday Night Live available for your viewing pleasure. Something unique about Sling is that it offers two different types of service, Blue and Orange, depending on your viewing habits. If you want to watch SNL, you will need to subscribe to the Blue package, which offers access to NBC. At $35 per month, Sling Blue lets you stream from three different devices, offers a great selection of news and entertainment, and gives you 50 hours of DVR service.
Peacock is the Real Home of SNL
Peacock is NBC’s dedicated app and offers three tiers of service: Free, Premium, and Premium Plus, with the latter of these two costing $4.99 and $9.99 each, respectively. Keep in mind that this only comes with shows and movies available on NBC, and even with the top-tier plan, your shows may still be interrupted with ads.
How To Watch SNL With A VPN When You Are Away From Home
Have you ever been on vacation only to open up your favorite streaming service to find that you couldn’t access your binge-of-choice? If so, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are ways to get around location-based programming. The most logical choice: a VPN.
A VPN is a virtual private network. This is essentially a back door into servers that might not let you in if you’re in another country or region. To get started, install a VPN on your device of choice. GammaWire has covered this topic before and notes that a VPN comes with the added benefit of blocking your online activities from your Internet Service Provider. Unfortunately, not all VPNs work with all streaming services or from all locations. But, there are workarounds for this as well.
If you do opt for a VPN, it’s almost always best to stick to a paid service. While free services are available, you may have a less reliable connection and more latency than if you use a paid service and, if possible, a static IP address.
So, What is the Best Way to Stream SNL Online?
Ultimately, if you really want to watch Saturday Night Live online, you may have to get creative. If you don’t want to keep up with a cable bill and prefer the convenience of streaming on-demand, any of the above services will let you watch SNL anytime, anywhere, on your own terms. Before you choose a streaming service, do your research. Make sure to compare costs and look at every channel available. Because of licensing, some services may not offer core channels, such as NBC, so if you want to stream Saturday Night Live, avoid apps or services that don’t have a contract with this network.
