Want to avoid your family? Still too early for pigskin (or turkey meat, for that matter)? The 92nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade can provide a serviceable distraction during the morning hours tomorrow.
But how does one actually watch this thing? Readers, you came to the right place. For starters, those looking for Snoopy and Santa can catch them the traditional way on NBC.
The “Today” Show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will emcee the festivities on the broadcast network, which will run the parade live for the east coast starting at 9 a.m. Other time zones get it tape-delayed for 9 o’clock local time, and there will be an encore presentation from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Those who didn’t only cut the cord but also smashed their TV screens can catch all of the fun on YouTube, thanks to Verizon. For the third year in a row, NBCUniversal and Verizon have partnered on a 360-degree livestream of the parade. The streaming option is meant as a second-screen appearance, but it’ll work in a pinch.
Watch the video at the top of this post.
Authentication is required, NBC tells us.
This year’s parade boasts 16 giant character balloons, plus 43 novelty balloons, heritage balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons, as well as 26 floats, 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers, more than 1,000 clowns, and 12 marching bands.
Those floats will be as jam-packed as the sidewalks.
Here’s a long list of those slated to adorn floats: Bad Bunny, Barenaked Ladies, Bazzi, Ally Brooke, Kane Brown, Brynn Cartelli, Jack & Jack, John Legend, Leona Lewis, Ella Mai, Tegan Marie, Martina McBride, Rita Ora, Carly Pearce, Pentatonix, Anika Noni Rose and the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street.” Plus, there is Diana Ross and her daughter Tracee Ellis Ross, Ashlee Simpson, Sugarland, Ashley Tisdale, Mackenzie Ziegler and Johnny Orlando.
Last year, NBC’s telecast averaged 24.057 million viewers overall and had a 6.41 rating in adults 18-49. Those numbers are as big as the Snoopy balloon.