Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade hit a record 28.5 million viewers across all NBC platforms on Thursday, the network announced on Friday.
The NBC live viewing, which ran from 8:30 a.m to 12 p.m. Eastern, was a half-hour longer than last year’s telecast. NBC ran an encore telecast from 2 to 5 p.m. and the annual holiday kickoff was also simulcast on Peacock.
Ratings for the 97th parade on NBC were up 6% overall from 2022 and more than doubled Peacock’s streaming hours from last year.
The live linear telecast of the parade is NBC’s highest-rated entertainment program of the year across all of television in both categories at 22.3 million viewers with a 5.3 in the demo.
The live event, which included performances from Jon Batiste and Cher, is now Peacock’s highest-rated entertainment simulcast to date. The streamer also simulcasts sports, including football games and golf tournaments.
The event was disrupted around 10 a.m. by 34 pro-Palestinian demonstrators, according to CNN. Protesters jumped police barricades and glued themselves to the street in a bid to call attention to the situation in Gaza.
Thirty of the demonstrators were issued a criminal summons for trespassing and four were arrested for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration, according to the NYPD.
The parade also saw the return of “Today” weatherman Al Roker, who missed last year’s event for the first time in 27 years after being hospitalized for blood clots.
“The National Dog Show Presented by Purina,” which aired immediately after the parade, drew 11.9 million viewers and a 2.9 rating in the demo across NBC and Peacock. Those numbers were up 8% and 11%, respectively, compared to last year’s telecast. On the streamer, the annual dog competition saw a 58% increase on Peacock versus 2022.
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” also posted their best numbers since last Thanksgiving.
