NBC grabbed more than 25 million viewers on Thursday with its telecast of the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
According to early Nielsen fast-nationals, the three-hour special aired from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones. The repeat aired at 2 p.m.-5 p.m. It was slightly less than the turnout of 25.9 millions viewers for the 2020 telecasts, which were produced exclusively for TV due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the dip, NBC noted that the 25.4 million live-same-day viewers ranks as the network’s most-watched entertainment telecast since the 2020 Macy’s parade. In adults 18-49, the parade packed more of a punch as a live telecast than this year’s Grammy Awards (2.1 rating), Oscars (1.9) and Emmys (1.9).
NBC followed as usual the parade in its Thanksgiving Day lineup. “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina.”The special aired for two hours and attracted 11.2 million viewers online. It also received a 2.8 rating among adults aged 18 to 49.
The day’s circulation increase and traditional Thanksgiving “Football Night in America”NBC’s primetime NFL show paid off all the way to late night. “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”(2.7 Million total viewers) “Late Night With Seth Meyers”(1.55 million) saw their highest viewer totals since Thanksgiving 2019.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of television’s oldest annual traditions. The parade began as a ballyhoo event for the famed retailer in Manhattan’s Herald Square in 1924. The event was first covered by NBC in 1953. The telecast is a huge live production for NBC. Parade with its distinctive blend of giant inflatable character balloons and marching bands has become a major promotional platform for family-friendly entertainment.
(Pictured Stars of Peacock comedy “Girls5eva” Paula Pell, Reneé Elise Goldsberry, Sara Bareilles and Busy Philipps take part in the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade)