Dakota Johnson Hosts SNL Tonight: How to Watch for Free
Dakota Johnson hosts Saturday Night Live on October 3, marking her third time leading the NBC sketch series. Airing live coast-to-coast at 11:30 p.m. ET, the episode features musical guest Turnstile in their show debut. Viewers without cable can stream the broadcast via a free trial on DIRECTV or Peacock.
Dakota Johnson Returns to Host on Her Birthday Weekend
The milestone marks her third time anchoring the late-night sketch comedy program. Johnson previously hosted in February 2015 to promote Fifty Shades of Grey and returned in January 2024 to support Madame Web. Alongside her hosting duties, she shares a birthday with the following day, October 4, making her just the sixth host in the history of the series to appear on the show on their actual birthday. The actress, star of “Verity” and Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” music video, will say “live from New York” for a third time.
Ahead of the broadcast, NBC released promotional clips featuring Johnson alongside breakout cast member Ashley Padilla. The episode also features hardcore punk band Turnstile making their program debut as the musical guest. Rosalind O’Connor / NBC via Getty Images captured photos for the broadcast.
Streaming Options and Free Trial Access for Viewers
Viewers seeking to watch the broadcast without a traditional cable subscription must utilize a live television streaming service. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial on its Choice plan, which includes NBC among its 125-plus channel lineup, according to pagesix.com, allowing users to save $30 on their first month. Alternatively, Peacock provides a seven-day free trial of its Premium tier, after which subscriptions cost $16.99 per month. Peacock also uploads new episodes to its library for full on-demand streaming on Sunday mornings.
Broadcast timing remains subject to potential regional schedule disruptions. Although the program is scheduled to air live at 11:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m.
Season 52 Features Two New Hires and Established Players
The current roster features only two new hires, pairing established repertory players with featured performers across the autumn schedule. The repertory players include Michael Che (Weekend Update), Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Marcelo Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost (Weekend Update), Sarah Sherman, and Kenan Thompson. The featured players are Saidah Belo-Osagie, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, Grace Reiter, Ashley Padilla, Veronika Slowikowska, and Jane Wickline.
The confirmed episode lineup extends through the final quarter of the year, running up to the end of 2026:
- Oct. 3: Dakota Johnson, with Turnstile
- Oct. 10: Shane Gillis, with Rosalía
- Oct. 31: Inde Navarrette, with Gracie Abrams
- Nov. 7: host TBA
- Nov. 14: host TBA
- Dec. 5: host TBA
- Dec. 12: host TBA
- Dec. 19: host TBA