He’s the biggest movie star in the world and people want him to run for President, so it should be no surprise Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can get folks to tune in to Saturday Night Live.
Johnson joined the “Five-Timers Club” when he hosted the NBC late night comedy institution for, well, the fifth time this past Saturday, May 19. As you can see above, Rock and the departing Bobby Moynihan re-teamed for a new edition of their too-honest wrestling promo sketch, and candidate Johnson also found a running mate for 2020 in fellow Five-Timer Tom Hanks.
All together, it generated great ratings for SNL - the best season finale in six years. Good enough for NBC to issue a press release about the numbers:
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" DELIVERS ITS MOST-WATCHED SEASON FINALE IN SIX YEARS
With Host Dwayne Johnson & Musical Guest Katy Perry, "SNL" Generates the #1 Broadcast Rating of the Week to Date in 18-49
NEW YORK - May 21, 2017 - "Saturday Night Live" has outrated every primetime telecast on the broadcast networks so far this week in adults 18-49, while delivering the show's most-watched season finale in six years.
The May 20 edition of "Saturday Night Live," with host Dwayne Johnson and musical guest Katy Perry, averaged 8.272 million viewers overall and a 2.32 rating in adults 18-49 in "fast official" "live plus same day" results from Nielsen Media Research.
The telecast, which aired live coast to coast (11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT) and counted unduplicated viewers from 11:30 encores in western markets, ranks as the #1 telecast so far this week on the broadcast networks in adult 18-49 rating, outrating the week's current #2 show, Fox's "Empire" (2.17) by a +7% margin.
The 8.272 million is "Saturday's Night Live's" biggest overall audience for a season finale since May 21, 2011 (with host Justin Timberlake and musical guest Lady Gaga, 9.818 million). In 18-49, it's the top-rated "SNL" season-closer since May 18, 2013 (with host Ben Affleck and musical guest Kanye West, 2.37).
No wonder WWE will let this guy do whatever he wants, whenever he can.