Every Thanksgiving brings several traditions that almost everyone experiences: cooking turkey, traveling to see relatives, watching live sports while digesting food, regretting all the pumpkin pie you consumed, and vowing to exercise after you eat all those leftovers.
For many Americans, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the hallmarks of the holiday. Whether it’s watching your favorite balloon drift by the tall skyscrapers of New York City or seeing performances from peppy marching bands from across the nation, there’s something for everyone at the event, which is why so many people tune in every year to watch it.
How can you watch it for free?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a broadcast television staple and will again be available for free for anyone who has a TV set, an antenna, and clear reception. The parade will be broadcast this year on NBC.
Where is it streaming?
If you are a cord-cutter or prefer a streaming option, don’t worry! There are plenty of options. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will stream on Peacock. Launched in 2020, Peacock is the home to NBC Universal and Comcast properties such as Universal Pictures, the Olympics, Bravo, and Saturday Night Live.
Peacock is the home to popular NBC shows like The Good Place, New Amsterdam, Law & Order: SVU, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The service boasts many sports programs from the WWE, NFL, and Premier League as well. Peacock also has expanded its scripted and non-scripted original programming to include Vampire Academy, The Resort, a documentary about wrestler Teddy Hart, and more!
When can I watch it?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022 will be broadcast and stream starting at 9 a.m. ET on November 24. The parade is scheduled to last three hours and end around noon EST.
Watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on PeacockHow much does it cost?
There is no fee to sign up for the most basic level of Peacock and no credit card is required upon signing up. All that’s needed is an email address for users to access 10,000-plus hours of content for free. The free tier is very limiting in terms of content. If you would like to access more programs from Peacock, there are various paid tiers to explore.
Peacock Premium is the first paid tier from the streaming service, with access to over 80,000-plus hours of entertainment for a monthly price of $5, or $50 per year. This tier contains ads but allows users to access new films and live events. If this tier is too restricting, users can upgrade to Peacock Premium Plus, which costs $10 per month, or $100 per year. Premium Plus includes everything from Premium, but contains no ads and allows users to download and watch programs offline.
Currently, Peacock is offering a limited-time Black Friday deal that offers an annual subscription to Peacock for only $1 a month for 12 months.
Who is in the Thanksgiving Day Parade?
For starters, lots of helium balloons. Thirty-four balloons will float around Manhattan on turkey day, with some usual suspects like SpongeBob SquarePants and Tom the Turkey being joined by newcomers Stuart the Minion, Baby Shark, and Striker, which honors the U.S. men’s soccer team currently playing in the 2022 World Cup.
The entertainment isn’t just in the sky, though. There will be an army of singers, dancers, and other brightly attired individuals marching in the parade. Chief among them is the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey, who will sing her now-signature tune, All I Want For Christmas is You. Other performers include Dionne Warwick, Paula Abdul, Betty Who, Joss Stone, Jordin Sparks, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, Fitz and the Tantrums, Sean Paul, Big Time Rush, Gloria Estefan, and the cast of Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin.
It wouldn’t be a parade without floats. There will be plenty of them this year, including new ones by Toys ‘R’ Us, Wonder, Pinkfong Baby Shark, People of First Light, and Netflix. Alongside these floats will be 12 marching bands from across the United States and Mexico.
Walking us through this candy-colored insanity will be Today anchors Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and, if his health permits, Al Roker, who will all once again pretend that they are enjoying themselves while freezing in NYC winter weather. Some traditions never go out of style.
Check out Macy’s official site for more details about the parade, including the exact route of all the balloons, a detailed list of the parade’s participants, a virtual parade you can interact with, and more! After the parade, be sure to check out the National Dog Show.
