Beijing – NBCUniversal announced a partnership with China’s leading digital entertainment platform, Youku, a unit of Alibaba Digital Media & Entertainment Group, who will produce a localised version in China of NBC’s highly successful hit show, Saturday Night Live.

Over the last few years, ten International versions of Saturday Night Live have been licensed across the world, more recently including France and Middle East – with China now added to that line-up.  Saturday Night Live will be Youku’s new flagship entertainment show for this 2017’s Fall/Winter schedule, showcasing the best of Chinese culture and comedy.

Saturday Night Live is one of the longest running shows in the United States.  Debuting in 1975, the iconic show is now in its 43rd season, with each show attracting an average of 11 million viewers.  It has been a banner year for NBC’s comedy icon, with US viewership up 29% over last year, resulting in the show’s best season since 1993-4.

SNL is the only format in the history of US television to have dominated its time slot for over 40 years. With almost 800 episodes produced to date, the show has changed the face of comedy, defined musical tastes for generations and makes one night of the week synonymous with laughter.

Michael Edelstein, President, NBCUniversal International Studios, commented, “Lorne Michaels has created a timeless format that taps into the prevailing cultural zeitgeist and instantaneously responds with whip-smart humor to national affairs and social trends.  In the US, Saturday Night Live is a perennial #1 late night show that consistently outperforms primetime and we’ve seen similar debuts in other countries such as France where SNL has instantly become a top-rated show.  We’re excited to partner with Youku in China where we are confident SNL will be a big hit with audiences.”