NEW YORK — The 50th anniversary celebration of “Saturday Night Live” has become NBC’s most-viewed prime-time entertainment broadcast in the last five years, attracting close to 15 million viewers.

This three-and-a-half-hour event, which aired on Sunday night, was filled with classic comedy sketches, spectacular musical performances, and surprise guest appearances, marking the largest audience for the network since the 2020 Golden Globes.

According to NBC’s latest announcement, only the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has outperformed this special in terms of recent viewership metrics.

The audience figures for the “Saturday Night Live” celebration include streaming numbers from Peacock, NBC’s dedicated streaming platform.

The event featured a multitude of surprise cameos from well-known personalities, including Aubrey Plaza, Meryl Streep, and Jack Nicholson, alongside other stars who have graced the iconic variety show since its inception in October 1975.

Paul McCartney closed the show with a standout musical performance, bringing a star-studded finale to an evening that overflowed with the rich legacy of “SNL” as it wrapped up on Sunday night.