NBC'S "MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE" EDGES LAST YEAR'S AUDIENCE TO ACHIEVE AN 11-YEAR HIGH IN AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP

THE 86TH ANNUAL PARADE MARCHES TO AN AVERAGE 22.4 MILLION VIEWERS, THE EVENT'S BIGGEST AUDIENCE SINCE 2001

IN ADULTS 18-49, THE PARADE EQUALS ITS HIGH RATING (6.5) IN EIGHT YEARS

A TOTAL OF 43.2 MILLION WATCH ALL OR SOME OF THE PARADE

'THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA' HITS A NINE-YEAR HIGH IN TOTAL VIEWERS (9.2 MILLION) AND MATCHES AN EIGHT-YEAR HIGH IN 18-49 RATING (2.4)

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - November 30, 2012 - NBC's November 22 9 a.m.-noon ET coverage of the 86th annual "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" has edged last year's average audience to deliver the event's biggest viewership in the last 11 years.

According to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, the parade increased a slight 0.1 percent versus last year, with an average 22.420 million viewers versus last year's 22.389 million, making this the event's biggest average viewership since the 2001 coverage delivered 23.1 million persons.

The "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," hosted by Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker of NBC's "Today," scored a 6.5 rating in adults 18-49, up 5 percent from last year's 6.2, making it the top parade rating in 18-49 since 2009 (6.5) and matching the high since 2004 (6.7).

NBC Research estimates that 43.2 million viewers watched all or some of NBC's "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" coverage, up 1 percent from last year's 42.8 million.

From noon-2 p.m. ET that day, NBC's coverage of "The National Dog Show Presented by Purina" averaged a 2.4 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.2 million viewers overall. NBC Research estimates 19.3 million viewers watched all or some of the telecast.

In total viewers, "The National Dog Show Presented by Purina" is up year to year by 12 percent (9.225 million vs. 8.243 million), making this the biggest average audience for the annual event in nine years (since 2003). The 2.4 rating in adults 18-49 is up 14 percent from last year's 2.1. It's the highest rating for the "National Dog Show" since 2008 (2.4) and matches the event's highest since 2004 (2.6). The total audience of 19.3 million that watched at least part of the show is a 7 percent gain from last year's 18.1 million and is the biggest total audience the "National Dog Show" since 2008 (19.6 million).

The annual dog show, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, is one of the oldest and most prestigious sporting events in North America. NBC's coverage was hosted by John O'Hurley and featured the commentary of expert analyst David Frei.