How to eat up the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
How to eat up the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
See your favorites from Snoopy to Santa in this annual Thanksgiving tradition.
Families around the United States will gather around their tables to give thanks on Thursday, Nov. 27. But before the Thanksgiving feast begins, audiences will be able to crowd around their TVs to watch the 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC. While there are several ways to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without cable, our favorite is with a subscription to DIRECTV.
How to watch 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
- When: Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to DIRECTV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
What time is the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade starts live at 8:30 a.m. ET, but in order to avoid forcing West Coast viewers to get up at 5:30 in the morning if they want to watch, NBC has elected to air a tape-delayed version of the broadcast in other time zones, so that the parade starts at 8:30 for everyone in the U.S.
If you want even more parade coverage, NBC will host an hour-long “Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” special on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be simulcast on Peacock and take viewers inside the process of making the famed parade a reality.
Why do we recommend watching the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on DIRECTV?
While there are several streaming services that include NBC in their channel packages, DIRECTV is our favorite way to watch the parade this year. For one thing, it carries NBC in all of its Signature channel plans — which normally start at $90 per month, but currently come with a discount of up to $40 off a new customer’s first month of service.
DIRECTV also carries NBC in its MyNews Genre Pack for $40 per month, or the MySports Genre Pack for $70 per month if customers would rather cut channels they won’t watch out of their package. Either way, DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial to new customers who sign up to receive their package through their own streaming player instead of with a Gemini device from DIRECTV.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for free?
Yes, you can watch the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC with a free trial on services other than DIRECTV, if you choose.
Hulu + Live TV comes with a three-day free trial for all new subscribers, after which plans with the Disney Bundle included cost $90 per month. YouTube TV has a free trial that can last as little as two days or as long as three weeks, depending on numerous factors like promotional periods and what time of month you subscribe.
What are all the services you can use to watch the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
You can stream the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC with DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV in a wide range of markets. Sling TV also carries NBC in a small number of areas, and if you live in one of these cities, you can stream the channel in the Sling Blue package for $46 per month.
Finally, Peacock will offer coverage of the parade live starting at 8:30 a.m. Live content is available to stream on Peacock’s Premium plan, starting at $11 per month.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| NBC | + $19 | + $11 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Preview the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
About 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker will host the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and they’ll get plenty of help from some big-name celebrities. Cynthia Eviro will perform at the opening of the parade, and Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Mr. Fantasy, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Mickey Guyton, Christopher Jackson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza, and Teyana Taylor will also perform.
The parade will feature 32 balloons and 27 floats, and of course, Santa Claus himself will be making an appearance. And in 2025, viewers on Peacock will be able to watch a multiview experience of the parade to see up to four floats and stages at once.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by the U.S. chain store business Macy’s. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, with both parades four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. The three-hour Macy’s event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.