Why Saturday Night Live Isn't Airing New Episodes On NBC For Awhile And When It'll Return

After celebrating its 50^th anniversary last year, Saturday Night Live hasn't been slowing down with its 51^st season, which is airing amid the 2026 TV schedule. Only a few episodes into the new year, the series has already been bringing entertaining episodes with epic surprises like Jason Momoa's cameo in that Heated Rivalry-esque Harry Potter sketch. Unfortunately, not long after its return from its winter hiatus, the series is on yet another break but, of course, it will indeed return.

Why Saturday Night Live Will Be Off The Air For Several Weeks

The latest episode of SNL was hosted by Alexander Skarsgård with musical guest Cardi B and aired on Jan. 31. Anyone hoping for a fun Valentine’s Day episode, especially since the romantic holiday falls on a Saturday, are unfortunately out of luck this year. That's because SNL is officially on a break until the end of February. While that may be disappointing to some viewers, there's a good reason for that.

Like a lot of primetime TV shows right now, Saturday Night Live is being preempted due to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (Fellow network TV offering High Potential is also among the impacted programs.) The games kicked off about a week ago and are set to run through February 22.

NBC, which of course houses SNL, has essentially been the hub for Olympics coverage, and it's even offered highlights program, Olympic Late Night, which is airing during the Games’ run. So it seems no matter how late a program is on, the Winter Olympics takes precedence right now.

With that said, it’s also not unusual for SNL to take a second winter break. The series was on hiatus for a few weeks last year ahead of the 50^th anniversary special, and there was a two-week break the previous season around the same time.

When Saturday Night Live Will Return With New Episodes

Luckily, it won’t be too long before viewers are treated to more funny sketches from Studio 8H. It’s been confirmed that new episodes of Saturday Night Live will return on Saturday, February 28. Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie will be making his SNL hosting debut with musical guests Mumford & Sons, who are taking the stage for the fourth time on the program. Given that Heated Rivalry has been heavily discussed since its premiere this past November, I wouldn't be surprised if the writers find another way to lampoon the steamy show.

As of now, Storrie is the only confirmed upcoming host for SNL Season 51, though it may be possible that March’s hosts and musical guests will be announced in the coming weeks, possibly before the series returns. I'm personally excited to find out who else ends up taking to the stage to host the show as the season progresses.

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February 28 may seem like it’s still far away, but it's my hope that the time will ultimately fly by. So, before you know it, you’ll be hearing “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” once again. For now, find comfort in the fact that all episodes of SNL are streaming with a Peacock subscription. Viewers can also follow Winter Olympics coverage on the streamer.