ENTERTAINMENT

New ‘SNL’ season will have Jalen Brunson and Inde Navarrette as hosts, music from Katseye, Rosalía

PUBLISHED Sep 9, 2026, 3:34 PM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 47

Left 6%

Center 91%

Right 2%

Sources: 47

Saturday Night Live announced its upcoming host and musical guest lineup for the new season starting later this month. Newly crowned NBA champion Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks will make his hosting debut on September 26, featuring pop girl group Katseye as the musical guest. Subsequent October episodes feature Dakota Johnson hosting alongside musical guest Turnstile, and comedian Shane Gillis returning for his third hosting stint with Rosalía performing. After a two-week break, the program returns on October 31 with horror-thriller star Inde Navarrette making her hosting debut and Gracie Abrams appearing as the musical guest. NBC executives structured the initial autumn episodes to blend mainstream cinematic promotion, athletic crossover appeal, and prominent contemporary musical acts to drive early-season broadcast ratings. Public relations representatives confirmed the initial four-episode schedule while production teams continue finalizing guest rosters for the remainder of the autumn broadcasting block across national television networks.

By Daniel Hayes | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

On September 26, 2025, previous season episodes featured competing late-night television broadcast programming schedules.
On October 3, 2025, earlier autumn television segments highlighted similar celebrity promotional guest appearances.
On October 10, 2025, previous entertainment broadcasts featured comparable comedian-led late-night sketch programming.
On October 31, 2025, historical late-night schedules presented special holiday-themed sketch comedy broadcasts.
On November 14, 2025, network programming managers evaluated mid-season television ratings and viewer demographics.
On December 5, 2025, production staff finalized autumn broadcasting schedules for recurring late-night programs.
On January 15, 2026, network representatives reviewed winter television broadcast advertising revenue metrics.
On February 20, 2026, producers announced mid-season guest hosts for winter sketch comedy episodes.
On March 1, 2026, television analysts assessed late-night broadcast viewership trends across major networks.
On September 10, 2026, network executives officially announced upcoming autumn television guest lineups.

News Intelligence

Immediate US impact: Drives weekend television viewership and boosts national entertainment network ratings.
Possible long-term US impact: Influences long-term late-night broadcasting strategies and celebrity promotional campaign schedules.
Most affected groups: Television viewers, entertainment networks, sports fans, and promotional film studios.
Reader priority: Prioritize official network announcements over unverified social media rumors.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 47
Right Leaning:: 1
Left Leaning:: 3
Neutral:: 43

Explain Framing

Left: Emphasizes diverse cultural representation and rising entertainment industry talent. Center: Reports official network casting announcements neutrally without political or cultural commentary. Right: Focuses on traditional mainstream entertainment appeal and popular celebrity cultural milestones.