96 Messi Thanksgiving Day Parade drew 27.7 million viewers Thursday when counting both linear viewership on NBC and broadcasts on sister platform Peacock.
Last year, across all platforms, including its inaugural broadcast on Peacock, the show drew 27.4 million viewers (25.4 million viewers on NBC alone), which means 2022 had enough of an edge over last year to land the show the most viewers in five years.
The three-hour special, which airs from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones and a repeat of 2 p.m.-5 p.m., plus digital plus airing on Peacock, has achieved a total of 27.7 million viewers and a 7.2 rating for adults 18-49, according to Citizens. Nielsen premieres presented by NBC.
Looking at the live stream alone, the show has 22.3 million viewers and a 5.5 rating, still topping the similar 2021 figure of 21.7 million live viewers and matching the live stream’s 5.5 rating.
According to NBC, “The parade was Peacock’s most popular entertainment event ever, more than double the reach of the 2021 parade.” It was also NBC’s highest rated and most watched entertainment program of the year.
In 2021, the parade saw crowds return to the event after the 2020 parade was curtailed and closed to the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic – filmed as a broadcast-only event in the Herald Square area.
NBC continued the show in its Thanksgiving lineup as usual with “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina”. This program has 11.2 million viewers and a rating of 2.8, including streaming viewership.
The The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of television’s oldest annual traditions. The show began as a popular retailer’s ballyhoo event at Herald Square in Manhattan in 1924. NBC began covering the event in 1953. The telecast is NBC’s massive live production. The show, with its signature mix of giant inflatable balloons, floats, bands, and performance segments, has turned into a major promotion for family-friendly entertainment fare.
