This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has set an all-time viewership record across NBC and Peacock, delivering 34.3 million watchers for the biggest combined audience on record, per preliminary data from Nielsen. The festivities outperformed last year’s parade by 8%, or 2.5 million people.
The original 8:30 a.m. ET airing on NBC drew 25.4 million viewers, becoming the most-watched entertainment telecast in nearly seven years (second to ABC’s airing of the 2019 Academy Awards).
In the 18-49 demo, the parade’s initial airing stands as the highest-rated entertainment telecast in five years since NBC’s 2020 Thanksgiving Day Parade. Overall, that key demo was up 13% from last year’s fete.
Additionally, each age demographic saw increases from a year ago, but younger viewers were up more significantly (+20% for viewers under 25).
“These record-breaking numbers signify how beloved this parade is to our audience and we couldn’t be more thrilled to begin the holiday season on such a wonderful note,” Jen Neal, EVP of Live Events and Specials at NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement. “A profound thank you to Macy’s for their partnership in producing such an iconic event.”
Sharon Otterman, chief marketing officer at Macy’s, added: “This year’s record-breaking ratings are a powerful testament to the creative mastery, technical precision and storytelling ambition Macy’s offers. We are deeply proud to create entertainment that showcases today’s top talent and captures the cultural zeitgeist to connect with our audiences and consistently redefine the benchmark for televised and streaming programming. As we look toward the 100th Macy’s Parade, we remain dedicated to leveraging our unique capabilities to inspire wonder and joy for millions nationwide, ensuring our programs exceed expectations year after year.”
In terms of other programming, The National Dog Show Presented by Purina drew 12.8 million viewers, a 4% increase from last year, across all formats. Post-football late-night programming, both The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, scored their first viewership highs since airing after the NFL’s kickoff game Sept. 4.
