Thanksgiving Ratings Recap: 'Stranger Things' Season 5, NFL Games Lead Record-Breaking Holiday Winners

Thanksgiving week turned into a massive moment for television and streaming, as millions stayed home and tuned in for highly anticipated premieres and major live events. From Netflixs long-awaited return of a global hit to record-breaking football games, the holiday period delivered exceptional audience numbers across multiple platforms.

Stranger Things Returns With Historic Debut

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things launched its first volume on Wednesday evening, releasing the initial four episodes after a gap of more than three years since the previous season. In just its first five days, the new season accumulated an unprecedented 59.6 million views, making it the biggest premiere week ever for an English-language series on Netflix.

This performance placed it well ahead of other recent high-profile releases on the platform, including the second season of Wednesday, which opened to 50 million views earlier this year. Although the numbers came in slightly below the launch of Squid Game Season 3 with 60.1 million views, the comparison is not completely equal, as that series released an entire season at once, while Stranger Things is dividing its final chapter into three separate parts.

In terms of viewing time, the seasons opening days generated more than 284 million hours watched, closely matching the massive opening weekend of the fourth season. With additional episodes scheduled to arrive on Christmas Day and the series finale set for New Years Eve, total viewership is expected to climb significantly in the coming weeks.

Holiday Traditions Draw Massive Crowds

Thanksgiving Day itself also delivered impressive numbers. The annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade expanded its reach even further, attracting 34.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. This marked an increase of 8 percent in overall audience and a 13 percent rise among key demographics compared to last year.

Immediately following the parade, the National Dog Show continued the momentum by drawing 12.8 million viewers, reflecting a 4 percent growth from the previous year.

NFL Games Rewrite the Record Books

Football dominated the afternoon and evening, with several games achieving historic milestones. The early matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions became the most-watched early Thanksgiving game ever, pulling in 47.7 million viewers through Fox and multiple streaming services. This also marked Foxs highest-rated regular-season NFL broadcast in its history.

The contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys went even further, reaching an extraordinary 57.23 million viewers. This made it the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history, surpassing last years comparable matchup by 47 percent and exceeding the previous all-time record set in 2022. The game also became the most-streamed regular-season NFL broadcast ever on Paramount+.

As the day concluded, the Cincinnati Bengals versus the Baltimore Ravens matchup secured its place in the record books as the most-watched Thanksgiving night NFL game to date, with 28.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.

College Basketball Adds to the Ratings Success

It was not only football drawing significant attention. The CBS Thanksgiving Classic game between Duke and Arkansas turned into the most-watched regular-season college basketball game on any network since the 19921993 season. The matchup attracted 6.81 million viewers, representing a 32 percent increase over last years Thanksgiving college basketball audience.

Additional Debuts Create Online Buzz

Another notable premiere during the Thanksgiving week was the series Heated Rivalry, which sparked considerable discussion on social media. While detailed streaming metrics have not yet been released, early indicators suggest it could appear in upcoming audience rankings once official data becomes available.

Altogether, Thanksgiving week proved to be a powerful moment for both traditional television and streaming platforms, demonstrating the enduring appeal of major franchise releases and live sports during the holiday season.

Author: Grace Ellison