Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade turns 100 this year

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew its largest audience ever this year, according to NBCUniversal.

The 98th annual event amassed 31.3M viewers Thursday across linear and digital platforms, which is up 10% from last year’s 28.5M, the company said.

About 24M tuned in on NBC alone during the live telecast from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. That makes it the most-watched entertainment show on linear television since the 2020 Academy Awards on ABC.

Though NBCUniversal didn’t give specifics on the digital audience, the company did reveal that streaming hours on Peacock grew by 26% compared to last year’s parade.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an event in which we take enormous pride, and it’s an absolute joy to know that there was a record number of people watching across both NBC and Peacock,” Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCU Entertainment, said in a statement. “The parade is a tradition like no other. Year after year, it’s the best way to kick off the holiday season, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it with our partners at Macy’s.”

The 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was hosted by Today Show personalities Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker. It featured 17 character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, 11 marching bands, and performances from a selection of music stars.