🎭 Saturday Night Live (SNL) — Key Facts
| Broadcast Network | NBC (NBCUniversal / Comcast Corporation) |
| Creator / Producer | Lorne Michaels (since 1975; exec producer almost continuously) |
| First Episode | October 11, 1975 (NBC; host George Carlin) |
| Studio | Studio 8H, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City |
| Longevity | 50 seasons and counting; longest-running primetime US variety show |
| Comcast | Parent company of NBCUniversal; Brian Roberts controlling shareholder |
Saturday Night Live (SNL) is owned by NBC, the broadcast network operated by NBCUniversal, which is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA). The show’s creative genius and long-time executive producer is Lorne Michaels, who created SNL in 1975 and has been its executive producer almost continuously since — one of the most remarkable creative relationships in American television history. Lorne Michaels’ production company Broadway Video is the producing entity, but the IP belongs to NBC/NBCUniversal.
Who Is the Owner of SNL?
SNL’s intellectual property — including the show’s format, characters, sketches, and archive — belongs to NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast, whose controlling shareholder is CEO Brian Roberts with ~33% voting power through Class B shares). Lorne Michaels (born 1944 in Toronto) created NBC’s Saturday Night (renamed Saturday Night Live in 1977) with the first episode airing October 11, 1975, hosted by George Carlin. Michaels produces the show through Broadway Video, his production company, which also produces The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and other NBC productions. Michaels holds significant creative authority and has enormous personal influence over the show, but NBC holds the broadcast rights and underlying IP.
SNL’s Cultural Impact and Longevity
Now in its 50th season, Saturday Night Live is the longest-running primetime variety show in US television history. The show has launched the careers of an extraordinary number of American comedy and acting legends: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and dozens more. SNL’s Weekend Update segment has been a Saturday night news satire institution since the show’s beginning. Presidential election cycles routinely make SNL must-watch television through its political impression segments.
Studio 8H: The Home of SNL
Saturday Night Live has aired live from Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (30 Rock) in Midtown Manhattan since its first episode. The studio is one of the most recognizable in American entertainment — its layout, with the main stage, home base desk, and multiple performing areas, is instantly recognizable to millions of viewers. 30 Rock is itself a New York City cultural institution, home to NBC News, MSNBC, and other major media operations within Rockefeller Center.
