The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is booming in the post-pandemic streaming era, and this year was no exception. The holiday staple on NBC and its streaming sibling Peacock drew a record 31.3 million viewers on Thursday as Americans enjoyed the annual Thanksgiving holiday with a TV tradition.
The retail giant’s annual parade through Manhattan featuring marching bands, Broadway troupes, celebrities, floats and giant inflatable balloons is in its 98th year and will be broadcast live from 8:30 a.m. to noon (ET) exclusively on NBC. , which attracted 23.6 million viewers. The parade was so successful that it became the most-watched entertainment special on linear television since ABC’s Academy Awards, which aired in February 2020.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an event that we are extremely proud of, and we are thrilled to know that it was watched by record numbers of people on both NBC and Peacock.” said Jen Neal, executive vice president of specials. For NBCU Entertainment. “The parade is a tradition like no other. Each year, it’s the perfect way to start the holiday season, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it with our partners at Macy’s.”
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Total viewership for the parade has steadily increased by 10% since 2023. According to NBC, streaming hours of the parade telecast via Peacock increased by 26% over last year.
The live telecast averaged a 5.4 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, the highest for an entertainment television broadcast since ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” in 2021. The points were recorded.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a beloved tradition that kicks off the holiday season each year. Macy’s brings this iconic experience to life, inspiring and inspiring our customers and citizens through the world-class entertainment that only we can provide. We are honored to be able to create moments of joy,” said Will Koss, executive producer of the parade.
High attendance at the Macy’s parade boosted another Turkey Day tradition on NBC: the National Dog Show sponsored by Purina. The canine popularity contest attracted 12.2 million viewers across all platforms, up 5% from last year.
All in all, NBC had a Thursday to celebrate. In the evening, a special Thanksgiving edition of “Sunday Night Football” that showed the Miami Dolphins cringing during a 17-30 loss to Green Bay drew 26.6 million viewers. The nightcap of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” drew the show’s highest total audience (2.8 million) since last year’s Thanksgiving night episode. So was “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (1.5 million copies).
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade broadcast is produced for NBC by Silent House Productions. Buzz Halpin, Mark Bracco, and Linda Gillan will serve as executive producers. Sacha Müller will serve as co-executive producer.
