NBCUniversal’s holiday programming slate garnered impressive viewership from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, reaching an average of 88 million viewers. This figure combines Nielsen’s broadcast data for NBC and Peacock’s internal streaming numbers, marking a significant increase from 2023, when the company reported 82 million viewers for a holiday period ending on Dec. 22.
The standout event for the holiday season was the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which became the top-watched program across all networks. The parade saw an 11% increase in viewership, attracting a record-breaking 31.7 million viewers across both NBC and Peacock.
Other notable highlights from NBCU’s holiday offerings included the National Dog Show, which secured 12.3 million viewers, marking a 5% rise from the previous year. Jimmy Fallon’s “Holiday Seasoning Spectacular” also made a splash, attracting 3.8 million viewers, becoming the most-watched new holiday special of the year.
Classic holiday films enjoyed strong viewership as well. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” aired on NBC for the first time in 50 years, drawing 4.8 million viewers, a 50% increase from its CBS airing in 2023. Similarly, “Frosty the Snowman” saw a 51% jump from the prior year, reaching 2.8 million viewers during its NBC debut.
NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” holiday specials also contributed to the holiday success, with Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes growing by 9% and 26%, respectively, from the previous year.
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