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The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is back — and those who want to watch it online without cable can save big with Peacock’s Black Friday deal.
Related: The Best Black Friday Streaming Deals on Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock and More
Airing live on Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, the department store’s 98th celebration will retrace its traditional 2.5-mile route through Manhattan, from the Upper West Side to Midtown. Apples Never Fall star and Macy’s holiday gift guide ambassador Alison Brie will host the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (She recently told The Hollywood Reporter“I’m bringing my whole family to New York to cut the ribbon and watch the [parade] in person. I love the parade, it’s iconic. It’s truly because I’m a real big Peanuts fan.”)
At a Glance: How to Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Online
- When: Nov. 28 starting at 5:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET
- Channel: NBC
- Stream online: Peacock
The easiest way to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without cable is by signing up for Peacock, which is offering new subscribers their first six months of Peacock Premium for $1.99 per month with code REALDEALMONTHLY or $19.99 for one year with code REALDEAL. The Black Friday promotion ends Dec. 2; after the promo period, the subscription auto-renews at $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually (or then-current price).
This year, pop culture franchises, brands and corporations will once again get their names in front of live spectators, as the public is being welcomed back to watch the parade’s more than 34 over-the-top floats, over 22 balloons, 7 ballonicles and dozens of live performances from the streets. Characters from Marvel, Disney, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Pokemon, Kung Fu Panda, Paw Patrol, Bluey, Star Wars, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Despicable Me and many more movies, TV shows and popular brands will join the 2024 parade.
Below, keep reading to find out more ways to stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade online, the performance lineup and more.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024: Date, Time, Location
The 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York on Thursday, Nov. 28. The festivities run from 5:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET through 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET. The parade will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock in all time zones on local TV stations.
Just as in previous years, Macy’s will also add a charitable Web3 element to the Thanksgiving parade. A virtual experience in the metaverse will be accessible via the OnCyber platform at macys.com/mstylelab, where visitors can learn about the iconic event’s history and the winners of last year’s contest to turn an NFT character into the event’s first NFT-inspired parade balloon.
Below, keep reading for more on how to stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 online with and without cable, including for free.
Who Is Performing at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
There will be over 28 live performers at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, including Idina Menzel, Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Cantrall, Kylie Minogue, the Temptations, Joey McIntyre, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, T-Pain, the War and Treaty, Walker Hayes, Roman Mejia, Sebastián Yatra, Rachel Platten, Loud Luxury, Liza Colón-Zayas, Lea Salonga, Coco Jones and many others.
The procession will also feature 11 marching bands from across the country, 28 crown crews and 11 performance groups; get more details here.
How to Watch the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Person
The 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m. local time in Manhattan at West 77th Street and Central Park West, but only select stops will have public viewing areas. The west side of Central Park West from West 75th to West 61st streets will have a spectator area available starting at 6 a.m. ET, and it’s one of the best places to watch the parade. There will also be viewing areas on 6th Avenue between West 59th to West 38th streets. See the entire route and get more details on restricted areas and public viewing spots here.
How to Stream the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Online
Looking for more ways to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade online besides Peacock? For those who haven’t yet subscribed to a streaming platform or are looking to cut the cord (while taking advantage of the best Black Friday streaming deals), below are a few more ways to watch the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving parade online without cable, including for free when you sign up for a new subscription.
DirecTV Stream
Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade online for free on NBC when you sign up for DirecTV Stream’s five-day trial.
New subscribers can get up to $625 in value when they sign up for a 24-month agreement of the DirecTV Choice plan (or higher tier) and bundle it with the Bronze, Silver or Gold package that includes premium networks such as Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, Lifetime Movie Club and more. Regularly $74.99 to $164.99 per month, DirecTV’s cable TV streaming plans include 90 to 185 or more local and national news, entertainment and sports channels, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, MSNBC, Fox and more. Learn more about the holiday bundle deal here.
Fubo
Packages on sale for $30 off the first month
Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC for free with a seven-day trial to Fubo, which is also offering new subscribers $30 off their first month.
The cable TV streaming service carries over 170 other news, entertainment and sports channels. You can record over 1,000 hours of TV shows, movies, games and more (including Monday, Thursday and Sunday night football) and watch later on your smartphone, tablet or TV.
Other plans range from $14.99 to $79.99 for the first month and include 66 to 309 channels.
Hulu + Live TV
Three-day free trial
Stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC for free on Hulu + Live TV, which offers a three-day trial to new subscribers. The cable TV streamer’s bundle includes Disney+ and ESPN+ with ads, plus 75 other major cable news, entertainment and sports channels for $82.99 per month with ads or $95.99 without ads. You’ll also get access to live streaming and events on ESPN+, like UFC Fight Night, PGA golf, soccer and baseball.
Peacock
The 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade streams live exclusively on Peacock. Through Dec. 2, new subscribers get Peacock Premium for $1.99 per month for their first 6 months with code REALDEAL or $19.99 for one year with code REALDEALMONTHLY. After the promo period, the subscription auto-renews at $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually (or then-current price).
Sling
You can also watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade live on NBC via Sling, which is giving new subscribers half off their first month of live TV streaming. That brings the first month down to $20 to 22.50 for the individual Blue and Orange plans or $30 for the combined Orange & Blue package (reg. $40 to $60 monthly). Note that you’ll need to connect an HD antenna and an AirTV device if you want to watch local channels on your Sling service; get more details here.
