The season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" had a socially-distanced audience last week but they had to pay people in the audience so they could be compliant with the COVID restrictions.
Currently, due to COVID restrictions in New York State, in-person audiences aren't allowed unless they're paid, as employees would be.
One guy who was there says everybody got a check for $150 after the show. Quote, "We had no idea we would be paid before we were handed checks. We were all very pleasantly surprised."