Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Tops 31 Million for NBC, Peacock

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has seen a resurgence in the post-pandemic streaming era, and this year was no exception. The holiday hit for NBC and its streaming sister Peacock reached a record 31.3 million viewers on Thursday as Americans enjoyed the annual Thanksgiving holiday with a dash of TV tradition.

Featuring marching bands, Broadway troupes, celebrities, floats and giant inflatable balloons, the retail giant’s 98th annual parade through Manhattan drew an impressive 23.6 million viewers during its live broadcast on NBC alone from 8:30 a.m. to noon ET to. That was strong enough to make the parade the most-watched entertainment special on linear television since ABC aired the Oscars in February 2020.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an event we are very proud of, and it is an absolute joy to know that there were record numbers of viewers on both NBC and Peacock,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president for Live events and specials for NBCU Entertainment. “The parade is a tradition like no other. Year after year, it’s the best way to start the holiday season, and we’re excited to be a part of it with our partners at Macy’s.”

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The parade’s total viewership increased by a whopping 10% compared to 2023. Streaming hours logged by the parade broadcast on Peacock increased 26% compared to last year, according to NBC.

The live broadcast averaged a 5.4 rating among adults 18-49 – the highest rating for an entertainment program since ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” in 2021.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that marks the start of the holiday season each year. Macy’s is honored to bring this iconic experience to life and create moments of inspiration and joy through world-class entertainment that only we can provide to our customers and the nation,” said Will Coss, parade executive producer.

The high turnout for the Macy’s parade gave a boost to the National Dog Show presented by Purina, another Turkey Day tradition for NBC. The pooch popularity contest attracted 12.2 million viewers across all platforms – up 5% from last year.

Overall, NBC had a Thursday to celebrate. That evening, the Thanksgiving special of “Sunday Night Football,” in which the Miami Dolphins suffered a 30-17 loss in Green Bay, drew 26.6 million viewers. The nightcap of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” delivered that show’s highest total viewership (2.8 million) since last year’s Thanksgiving night episode. The same was true for “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (1.5 million).

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced for NBC by Silent House Productions. Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco and Linda Gierahn are executive producers. Sacha Mueller is co-executive producer.