Millions of people around the world will kick off their holiday morning by watching the 99th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade — on a day when the stock market is closed. The parade's massive audience could also boost awareness of brands and new media releases, potentially drawing more viewers to Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) programming later in the day.
Netflix Bets Big on Thanksgiving Day Parade
Netflix is one of the most dominant streaming companies in the world, and, just as it launched programming around the Christmas holiday, the company wants consumers to know it has Thanksgiving on lock.
The streaming company will release the first part of the highly anticipated fifth and final season of "Stranger Things" on Wednesday, Nov. 26, one day before Thanksgiving. The first four episodes will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
For anyone who didn't watch the episodes before Thanksgiving morning, they could be quickly reminded by Netflix’s "Stranger Things"- themed float in the parade.
The float features the Hawkins National Laboratory from the series and an eight-foot Demogorgon puppet, as reported by Variety. The float will feature lighting and smoke effects, attempting to bring the laboratory to life during the parade.
Along with the "Stranger Things" float, Netflix will also feature its hit movie "KPop Demon Hunters" with a float and balloon of the movie character Derpy. Fictional musical group HUNTR/X from the film will perform with the real-life singing voices EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami all being featured during the parade.
The hit movie is the most-watched Netflix title ever, and the film's songs have topped the charts and recently helped the trio land five Grammy nominations.
While the success of "KPop Demon Hunters" helped Netflix in previous quarters, it could continue to boost financials with consumer products in the pipeline and a massive fan base.
"Stranger Things" will be one of the keys to Netflix's fourth quarter, with the final season released in three parts around the holidays. The second part (3 episodes) will release at 8 p.m. ET on Christmas Day, with the final episode coming on Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
Netflix also has two NFL games on Christmas Day, with the streamer hoping to get a boost from the parade and "Stranger Things" on Thanksgiving, and from the NFL and the hit series on Christmas.
Read Also: Netflix, AMC Put Rivalry Aside, Cozy Up On ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, ‘Stranger Things’ And More
How to Watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The 99th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air at 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning and last around three and a half hours, ending at noon.
The parade will air on NBC and also stream on Peacock, with three different camera views available to viewers, including a float view from the Tom the Turkey float.
Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has the rights to the parade and could end up a big winner on Thanksgiving Day.
Last year's parade was watched by 31.3 million people across NBC and Peacock, setting a new record. NBC viewership was 23.6 million viewers during the live airing, with streaming viewers up 26% year-over-year.
Along with the parade, Comcast also has one of three NFL games being played on Thanksgiving Day with the Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens night game at 8:20 p.m. ET. Last year's Thanksgiving Day NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers was watched by 26.6 million people.
Cynthia Erivo, star of "Wicked: For Good" will open the parade with a performance. The singing number comes as the movie from Comcast's Universal Pictures opened with $147.0 million in domestic box office, the second largest total of 2025. Her performance could bring more attention to the hit movie.
Other Companies That Could Benefit
The 2025 parade will feature 28 floats, 34 balloons, and dozens of performances. Here's a look at some of the companies featured in the parade that could benefit.
Pop Mart (OTC:PMRTY)(OTC:POPMF): The retail chain will feature a "Friends-giving" float with popular Labubu and other Pop Mart characters.
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS): The media giant will feature several characters across balloons and a float for the company's Disney Cruise Lines division.
Campbell's (NASDAQ:CPB): The food company's Rao pasta brand has a float called Pasta Knight. The company's Goldfish brand also has a float called The Littlest Float, which is one of the new 2025 entries.
Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL): The cruise line company's Holland brand has one of 2025's new floats with its The Land of Ice and Wonder float, highlighting cruises to the Alaska region.
Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY): The media company has floats dedicated to its Dora The Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brands for the 2025 parade.
Nintendo (OTC:NTDOY): The Pokémon balloon of Pikachu and Eevee returns, marking the 25th appearance of the Pokémon brand, which is co-owned by Nintendo. The company's famous Mario character will make his Thanksgiving Day Parade debut.
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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.
