NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Set All-Time Viewership Record

December 01, 2025

The 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade delivered 34.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, its biggest combined audience on record, outperforming last year’s parade by +8% (2.5 million viewers). The 18-49 demo was up 13% from 2024.

The original 8:30 a.m. ET airing on NBC drew 25.4 million viewers, the most-watched entertainment telecast in nearly 7 years (since the Academy Awards telecast on Feb. 24, 2019 on ABC).

In the 18-49 demo, the parade's original airing stands as the highest-rated entertainment telecast in five years since NBC's 2020 Thanksgiving Day Parade.

"These record-breaking numbers signify how beloved this parade is to our audience and we couldn’t be more thrilled to begin the holiday season on such a wonderful note. A profound thank you to Macy’s for their partnership in producing such an iconic event."

— Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Entertainment

Each age demo saw increases from a year ago, but younger viewers were up more significantly (+20% for viewers under 25). The parade's linear audience peaked on NBC from 11-11:15 a.m. with 30.2 million viewers.

Across all platforms, "The National Dog Show Presented by Purina" drew 12.8 million viewers, a 4% increase from last year.

In late-night programming post-football on NBC, both "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" scored their most viewers since airing after the NFL’s kickoff game on Sept. 4.

"This year’s record-breaking ratings are a powerful testament to the creative mastery, technical precision and storytelling ambition Macy’s offers. We are deeply proud to create entertainment that showcases today's top talent and captures the cultural zeitgeist to connect with our audiences and consistently redefine the benchmark for televised and streaming programming. As we look toward the 100th Macy's Parade, we remain dedicated to leveraging our unique capabilities to inspire wonder and joy for millions nationwide, ensuring our programs exceed expectations year after year."

— Sharon Otterman, Chief Marketing Officer, Macy's

Note: This Nielsen data is preliminary and will change when it becomes official in the coming days.