NBCUniversal has led the way in terms of holiday season programming. Beginning with record viewership of the annual Macy’s Parade and other ratings wins along the way, the company has boasted a total of 82 million viewers of its holiday programming across NBC and Peacock since Thanksgiving, according to the most current measurement available.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was the No. 1 program contributing to that total, as the event has remained the most-watched non-news and non-sports program on all of television since 2021. After debuting to 28.5 million viewers, it has since reached 40 million viewers.
NBCU’s next four most-watched holiday programs of the year are the NFL game between San Francisco and Seattle on Thanksgiving night (33 million viewers), “National Dog Show” (21 million viewers), “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” (12 million viewers) and “Christmas at the Opry” (8 million viewers).
“Our approach to the holiday season has always been about creating moments that become festive traditions,” said Frances Berwick, NBCUniversal Entertainment chairman. “Whether it’s our 84th airing of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC which kicks off the season, or the premiere of the newest holiday movie ‘Genie’ on Peacock, or new specials like ‘Christmas at Graceland,’ we’re proud that we’re able to bring millions of families together during this special time of the year, delivering content and experiences that are beloved across generations.”
Among the “traditions” Berwick references are new specials, such as “Christmas in Graceland,” the first-of-its-kind telecast from Elvis Presley’s home, which was produced by Presley’s granddaughter, actor Riley Keough. Airing directly after the annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” which this year was hosted by Kelly Clarkson and reached 7 million viewers through its first three days, “Christmas in Graceland” reached 5.2 million viewers in three days. Additionally, NBCU is producing new holiday films; Melissa McCarthy’s “Genie” premiered on Peacock on Nov. 22 and became the streamer’s most-watched original film ever.
NBCU’s wall-to-wall holiday programming has also been bolstered by special holiday episodes of regular series, such as “Barmageddon” and “Password,” and by the re-airing and streaming of NBCU library content, like Illumination’s 2018 film “The Grinch,” which this year became one of Peacock’s most-watched films.
NBC will close out the year with “E! News Presents NBC’s Hot 10 of 2023” on Dec. 27 at 8 p.m.
