T
he red Macy’s star lights up the New York City skyline on November 26, 2025, marking the start of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This annual spectacle is one of the few moments in American media that feels truly unified, making it a key date for the entertainment industry.
For 3½ hours, NBC and Peacock transform the parade into a year‑long showcase for Hollywood’s biggest franchises. The 2024 broadcast drew a record 31.3 million viewers, with 24 million tuning in live on NBC and the rest streaming. The shift to digital has turned the parade into a prime platform for brands and studios alike.
Netflix, for the first time, debuted its “Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things” float, a “Derpy Tiger” balloon, and a “balloonicle” from the animated film *KPop Demon Hunters*, accompanied by live performances from Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. Disney highlighted timeless characters such as Buzz Lightyear and Spider‑Man, while Paramount leaned on children’s favorites like SpongeBob, Dora, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. DreamWorks and Universal added Shrek, and video‑game icons Mario, Pikachu, and Pac‑Man joined the lineup.
The parade’s reach makes it a coveted advertising space. Guideline’s media‑intelligence study reports NBC earned $53 million in ad revenue in 2023 and $55 million in 2024. Executive producer Will Coss calls the event “the official kickoff to the holiday season and a national tradition.”
In short, the Macy’s parade remains one of the last true broadcast powerhouses, offering studios a chance to showcase their most beloved properties to millions. For anyone looking to gauge who’s dominating the media attention war, the parade’s one‑day broadcast is the definitive snapshot.
