Streaming Struggles During The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

Holiday Lover But… I’ve Got Thoughts

I LOVE the holidays. I fully lean into the magic, the lights, the food, the music (obviously), the chaos — all of it. And I am definitely not one to complain about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That is my favorite thing about Thanksgiving it's like my Super Bowl for parades. But this year… I had a few takeaways I’ve never had before. Let me be clear, no takeaways on the performances, live celebrities, dances, or outfits this is strictly revolved around the streaming of the Parade because I am not lucky enough to catch it live.

Technology Has Gotten *Weird*

Let’s talk about the evolution of technology for a second. It is weird. I grew up during that era where everything suddenly went digital overnight. One minute we’re blowing into Nintendo cartridges, the next we’re streaming 14 seasons of a show we’ve never heard of. But the thing that confuses me the most? The way streaming services run the world now.

Back in the DirecTV Days

When I was little, we had DirecTV. And honestly, it worked great for a busy family. I was always running around — sports, school, being outside until the sun went down — so the whole “record your show and watch it later” option was life-changing. My sister and I could record the new Hannah Montana episode, and of course, we always recorded the Macy’s Parade. That’s been a tradition for me forever.

Fast Forward to This Year

Streaming has taken over. You either have cable… or you have eight different apps that each cost something and still somehow don’t have the show you want. My dad decided to cut the cord — RIP to DirecTV — so now we’re a streaming-only family. And one of those services is Peacock.

Peacock + Parade = Glitch City

Peacock was *the* place to watch the Macy’s Day Parade this year if you didn’t have cable. And here’s where my issue comes in: when you put a massive, nationally-watched event on one streaming service, you’re basically asking the internet to break. Everyone logs in at the same time, and suddenly everything starts glitching like a 2009 laptop running Sims.

The Lag Was Real

There was lagging… glitching… audio cutting out… at one point I swear a balloon moved like it was in slow motion. For a second I thought NBC got artistic with the cinematography.

Did You See It Too?

So I’m curious did you watch the parade on Peacock this year? Did you have the same issues?
Because I love streaming… but I also love when giant balloon Snoopy doesn’t freeze mid-air like he’s buffering.

Let me know your experience — I’m genuinely curious if it was just us or if the whole country was watching a slideshow of the Macy’s Parade this year.

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