SHOPPERS TURN OUT FOR BLACK FRIDAY
Across the five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, 202.9 million consumers did some shopping. It’s a new record, topping the previous high of 200.4 million in 2023 and exceeding last year’s total by almost six million. Increases were seen both in person (+3%) and online (+9%). Nearly 96% of those shoppers made a holiday-related purchase, with two-thirds of that spent on gifts. The top gifts: clothing and accessories (51%), toys (32%), books and other media (28%), and gift cards (26%). (NRF: December 2, 2025)
THANKSGIVING PARADE MARCHES TO A RECORD
This year was the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it didn’t show any signs of slowing down. Viewership (ahem) ballooned to 34.3 million on NBC and Peacock, up 8 percent versus last year, and ranking as the most-watched entertainment broadcast since the 2019 Academy Awards. This success carried over to the dog show that immediately followed the parade (up 4%), and into late night, where Fallon and Meyers scored their largest audiences since their post-NFL shows in early September. (Hollywood Reporter: November 28, 2025)
TV GETS A BOOST FROM SPORTS & NEW PROGRAMMING SEASON
With major sports like the NFL and NCAA football, an exciting MLB postseason, and the return of popular series, TV gained some ground in October. Share increases were achieved by Disney (11.4% share), NBCU (8.6%), Fox (8.4%), and Paramount (8.2%). On the strength of TBS’ coverage of the MLB playoffs, Warner Bros. Discovery ticked up by 0.2 points to a 5.6% share, powered by its coverage of the Dodgers/Brewers NLCS, which brought a 93% viewership increase. (Radio+ Television Business Report: November 24, 2025)
STREAMING GIVES OLDER SHOWS NEW LIFE
Have you been streaming Friends, Breaking Bad, or even Columbo? You’re not the only one. Despite (or perhaps because of) an overwhelming number of new shows and movies, 60% of streaming viewers say that they’ve recently begun watching a show that has already been on for several seasons. And while it might be surprising that this practice is more common among younger viewers (65% of 16-34 year olds vs. 57% of viewers 35+), it actually makes sense. The younger set didn’t grow up on shows like Seinfeld and The Sopranos and are discovering them digitally. (MediaPost: November 19, 2025)
TODAY IN VIDEO HISTORY
December 4, 2014 – Peter Pan Takes Flight
Following the success of 2013’s The Sound of Music Live!, NBC returned with another live musical, and one they’d had success with a few times before: Peter Pan. Stepping into the elfin green shoes of the titular imp was Allison Williams, with Christopher Walken bringing his distinctive style to the role of Captain Hook. Over nine million people tuned in, making it the night’s most-watched program.
