SNL Season 51: How to watch premiere with Bad Bunny and Doja Cat for free

SNL kicks off Season 51 on Oct. 4 with Bad Bunny hosting and Doja Cat performing. Here’s how to stream the premiere live and watch it free online.

NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ is returning for its 51st season on Saturday, October 4, 2025, with Bad Bunny as host and Doja Cat as the musical guest. The show airs live at 11:30 p.m. ET.

Bad Bunny will take on hosting duties for the premiere. Doja Cat will perform as the first musical guest of the new season, marking her debut on the show.(AP)

Bad Bunny will take on hosting duties for the premiere. He first appeared on SNL as a musical guest in 2021, later hosting and performing in Season 49, and recently appearing during the 50th-anniversary events and the Season 50 finale, according to the New York Post.

Doja Cat will perform as the first musical guest of the new season, marking her debut on the show.

How to watch SNL for free

Viewers without cable can stream new episodes using live TV platforms like DIRECTV, which offers a five-day free trial and packages starting at $39.99 per month. Another option is Peacock Premium, which provides a seven-day free trial before charging $16.99 per month. New “SNL” episodes are added to Peacock on Sunday mornings.

NBC has also confirmed the first few episodes and lineups for the fall schedule:

Oct. 4: Host Bad Bunny, musical guest Doja Cat

Oct. 11: Host Amy Poehler, musical guest Role Model

Oct. 18: Sabrina Carpenter, both host and musical guest

“Saturday Night Live,” created by Lorne Michaels, continues to air from Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center and remains a staple of NBC’s late-night programming after more than five decades on air.