Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade draws 34 million viewers on NBC Peacock
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was no turkey for NBC. In fact, the broadcaster’s 2025 broadcast of the annual event is poised to reach its largest combined audience ever.
According to early Nielsen data, the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew 34.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, with 25.4 million viewers tuning into the NBC broadcast that began at 8:30 a.m. (ET) on November 27. It should be noted that this Nielsen data is preliminary and will change when it becomes official in the coming days.
Still, this year’s parade in its current form is up 8% in total viewers compared to 2024, managing to attract 31.3 million combined viewers, which itself was a 10% increase from 2023’s 28 million viewers. According to NBC, the 2025 parade was also up 13% among the adults 18 to 49 demographic compared to 2024. NBC also claims that the numbers were up across all demos, including a 20% increase in viewers under 25.
“These record numbers demonstrate how loved this parade is by our audiences and we couldn’t be more excited to kick off the holiday season in such a wonderful way,” said Jen Neal, executive vice president of live events and specials for NBCUniversal Entertainment. “Thank you to Macy’s for working with us to produce such an iconic event.”
Elsewhere in the day, the National Dog Show attracted 12.8 million viewers, an increase of 4% from 2024.
“This year’s record-breaking ratings are a powerful testament to Macy’s creative mastery, technical precision and storytelling ambition,” said Sharon Otterman, Chief Marketing Officer of Macy’s. “We take great pride in creating entertainment that spotlights today’s top talent and captures the cultural zeitgeist to connect with our audiences and consistently redefine the benchmark for television and streaming programming. As we watch the 100th Macy’s Parade, we remain committed to leveraging our unique capabilities to bring wonder and joy to millions of people across the country, ensuring our programming exceeds expectations year after year.”
