Dakota Johnson & Turnstile on ‘SNL’: Here’s Where to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Online for Free

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On Saturday (Oct. 3), Saturday Night Live returns with the second episode of season 52. The sketch comedy show taps Verity and Fifty Shades of Grey actress Dakota Johnson to host, while Baltimore hardcore punk band Turnstile serves as musical guest.

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This is Dakota Johnson’s second time hosting, while Turnstile is making its SNL debut.

How to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Live Online, at a Glance:

• Date: Oct. 3
• Network: NBC
• Host, Musical Guest: Dakota Johnson & Turnstile
• Online Streaming: DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Peacock

When Does ‘Saturday Night Live‘ Start?

SNL airs live on Saturday (Oct. 3), with a start time of 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

What TV Network Features ‘Saturday Night Live’?

In 2026, SNL broadcasts on TV on NBC. Meanwhile, the variety sketch show is available to livestream on Peacock.

Who’s Appearing on ‘Saturday Night Live’ Tonight?

SNL is known for celebrity cameos during the show, so it’s likely there may be a number of famous actors, actresses and recording artists in attendance. Since Dakota Johnson is hosting, it’s likely that Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett might appear.

Other artists who have been known to appear at SNL in the past, include Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Alec Baldwin, Mariska Hargitay, Meryl Streep, Harry Styles and others.

Where to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Online for Free

For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch SNL online, if you don’t have cable, especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services, like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, also offer free trials, so you can watch for free.

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DirecTV

Comes with a five-day free trial.

A subscription to DirecTV gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, including NBC, at $59.99 per month for the first three months of service ($89.99 per month afterward). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.

600+ free channels

Sling TV

Sling Orange & Blue comes with 40+ broadcast and cable channels.

Sling TV offers the Blue plan, which comes with NBC. With more than 40 channels, the streaming plan goes for $54.99 per month. All plans come with a free cloud DVR and an extra 600 or so free channels too. Please note: Pricing and channel availability vary from market-to-market.

Fubo starts at $63.99 for the first month ($88.99 per month afterward) with more than 230 channels, including local and cable, like NBC, that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a five-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.

No Hidden Fees

Hulu + Live TV

Comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.

Broadcast and cable networks NBC is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV. Prices for the cable alternative start at $49.99 for the first month ($89.99 per month afterward) for more than 100 live channels, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost. Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package.

The livestream home of ‘SNL’

Peacock

Starts at $12.99 per month.

There are two different plans offered on Peacock: The Premium Plan for $12.99 per month or the Premium Plus Plan for $19.99 per month. If you’re looking to save, you can get 17% off when you do the annual plan for $129.99 per year or $199.99 per year, respectively. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive access to a wide range of movies, TV shows, originals, live sports from NBC Sports and live news from NBC News.

Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream offline.

On Saturday (Oct. 3), SNL with host Dakota Johnson and musical guest Turnstile broadcasts live on NBC. One of the best ways to watch is with DirecTV.