Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023: NBC Draws Its Biggest TV Audience Ever

The network’s annual telecast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade delivered the biggest ratings ever.

The 97th annual parade was seen by 28.5 million viewers and earned a hefty 7.2 rating in the 18-49 age demo. Both numbers are up 6 percent from last year’s parade. It was also the highest-rated entertainment program of the year in both categories across all of broadcast and cable.

The record is particularly impressive at a time when even major live events have witnessed ratings erosion in recent years.

The New York City parade first took place in 1924 and was first broadcast on radio in 1932.

The event was broadcast on TV for the first time in 1948. NBC has televised the parade since 1953.

This year’s parade was temporarily halted when a small group of about pro-Palestinian protesters were taken into police custody after gluing themselves to the pavement of the parade route.

The National Dog Show, which aired immediately after the parade, drew 11.9 million viewers and a 2.9 rating in the demo across NBC and Peacock. That’s also up from last year’s telecast.