The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew its largest cross-platform audience on record Thursday.
NBC says 31.3 million viewers watched the parade on NBC and Peacock, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings and streaming figures from Adobe Analytics. That’s up 10 percent from last year’s total of 28.5 million — which was the previous all-time high. The number includes the live morning telecast and an afternoon replay on the broadcast network and streaming on Peacock.
The initial broadcast, which aired from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones, brought in 23.6 million viewers, more than any other entertainment (i.e., not sports or news) telecast this year — and in the past four years. The last time any entertainment show drew a larger audience was the 2020 Oscars. NBC also says streaming hours on Peacock grew by 26 percent year to year, though per usual it’s not specifying the exact number.
Among adults 18-49, the parade’s live broadcast scored a 5.4 rating (equivalent to about 7.24 million people), the highest for any entertainment show on broadcast or cable since ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in 2021.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an event in which we take enormous pride, and it’s an absolute joy to know that there was a record number of people watching across both NBC and Peacock,” said Jen Neal, executive vp live events and specials at NBCU Entertainment. “The parade is a tradition like no other. Year after year, it’s the best way to kick off the holiday season, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it with our partners at Macy’s.”
Added executive producer Will Cross, “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that annually marks the beginning of the holiday season. 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 deliver for our customers and the nation.”
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest TV viewing days of the year, and several other programs drew big audiences as well. Following the parade, NBC’s broadcast of the National Dog Show averaged 12.2 million cross-platform viewers, a four-year high.
Fox’s late afternoon NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants brought in an estimated 38.5 million viewers — despite both teams being under .500 — across platforms, which will be the fourth most-watched Thanksgiving game on any network if that number holds. In primetime, NBC’s NFL game (Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins) averaged 26.6 million viewers across platforms, topping 26 million for the third year in a row. Figures for CBS’ early-afternoon NFL matchup between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears weren’t available at publication time.
Following NBC’s NFL game and local news, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2.8 million viewers) and Late Night With Seth Meyers (1.5 million) both scored their largest audiences since last year’s Thanksgiving shows.
Source: Hollywoodreporter
