MACY'S PARADE Is TV's #1 Show Since the Oscars, With 24 Mil Viewers

NBC's coverage of "The 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®" has delivered the highest total-viewer and 18-49 results for any U.S. entertainment telecast since the Oscars in February, according to "live plus same day" official-national results from Nielsen Media Research

From 9 a.m.-noon, "The 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" averaged 24.057 million viewers overall and a 6.41 rating in adults 18-49, which tops all primetime entertainment programs on broadcast or cable since last February's "Academy Awards" on ABC (32.9 million viewers overall and a 9.1 rating in 18-49 on Feb. 26).

The 24.057 million average viewership of the parade is within 2% of last year's 24.639 million, and it's the #3 biggest audience for the annual parade coverage in people meter history, dating back to 1987, with only 2016 and 2013 (25.173 million) garnering bigger average audiences.

No non-sports broadcast so far this season has rated higher than yesterday's parade, with the #2 entertainment program in 18-49 and total viewers being the season premiere of "The Big Bang Theory" on Monday, Sept. 25 (4.1 in 18-49, 17.6 million viewers overall).

NBC Research estimates a total of 43.026 million viewers watched all or some of the parade telecast.

At noon, "The NATIONAL DOG SHOW Presented by Purina" tallied 11.555 million viewers overall and a 2.97 rating in adults 18-49, for its second-best scores in both categories the 16 years NBC has been televising the event. Since NBC initiated the holiday tradition in 2002, the only telecast that generated stronger total-viewer or 18-49 results was 2016's, with 12.360 million viewers and a 3.21 rating in adults 18-49.

NBC Research estimates a total of 22.074 million viewers watched all or some of the "National Dog Show" telecast, also the second-best ever for the event on NBC behind only last year's record 22.863 million.

NOTE: Results are based on official-national "live plus same day" data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.

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