Jalen Brunson spent June ending the New York Knicks’ 53-year championship drought. On Saturday he trades the parade route for Studio 8H, hosting the 52nd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live — his first time doing the job.
Crave put the Canadian clock on it. “MARK YOUR CALENDARS!” the Bell Media streamer posted, confirming the first four episodes of the season are set and pointing viewers to the premiere airing live Saturday on Crave and CTV.
The premiere pairs Brunson with KATSEYE, the K-pop group making its own musical-guest debut. According to NBC’s season announcement, Brunson is the first NBA player to host the show since LeBron James in 2007, and the Knicks’ title was their first since 1973. He was named 2026 Finals MVP.
Week two lands Oct. 3 with Dakota Johnson hosting for the third time, timed to the Oct. 2 theatrical release of her film Verity. Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile makes its SNL debut opposite her, riding the second North American leg of its Never Enough tour.
Shane Gillis returns Oct. 10 for his third hosting stint, with Rosalía as musical guest for the second time. Gillis arrives carrying a Guinness World Record for the largest stand-up comedy audience, set this summer at Lincoln Financial Field, plus a third season of his Netflix series Tires.
Then the show goes quiet for two weeks. The fourth episode falls on Halloween, Oct. 31, when Obsession breakout Inde Navarrette makes her hosting debut alongside Gracie Abrams, back for her second turn after this year’s Daughter From Hell album.
The lineup arrives as the cast churns: Chloe Fineman exited after seven seasons, Please Don’t Destroy‘s Martin Herlihy is out after four, and Grace Reiter and Saidah Belo-Osagie joined the troupe ahead of the premiere, per Entertainment Weekly.
For Canadian viewers, the mechanics are simple: live on CTV and Crave at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, with episodes streaming the following day. Three consecutive Saturdays, then dark until Halloween.
