How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 2021 and live stream online from anywhere

The world-famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the true pinnacle of Thanksgiving for many, and the only place to see Pikachu rub shoulders with Baby Yoda! With plenty more heart-warming and downright strange oversized attractions to gawp at this year, here's how to watch the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade where you are.

After 2020's scaled-back edition, the parade has been restored to its full glory thanks to the return of the feature that makes that 2.5-mile stretch from Central Park West to Columbus Circle truly special... and for once, we don't mean Snoopy.

We are, of course, talking about those crowds, who'll once again line the streets as the spectacular procession lights up the Big Apple.

Kelly Rowland, Carrie Underwood and classic rockers Foreigner are just some of the names providing the soundtrack to the parade, which will, as ever, surprise and bewilder in equal measure with some very eye-catching floats. 

It's time for the show to commence, so read on as we explain how to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade from anywhere.

How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade FREE in the US and without cable

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NBC is the place to watch the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. It begins at 9am ET / 6am ET, but NBC is showing the parade at 9am across the country.

And if you miss the action, the three-hour extravaganza is being repeated on NBC at 2pm.

How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade without cable

If you don't have NBC on cable, fear not. The obvious first port of call is a Peacock TV subscription. Plans start from $4.99 a month and can be cancelled anytime - you can sign up in no time on the Peacock website (opens in new tab).

Probably the best value comes from Sling TV, however. Its Blue package costs $35 a month and includes NBC in most markets, as well as 30+ other channels. But even better, Sling is currently offering new subscribers a whole month of Sling Blue for just $10 (opens in new tab).

Another over-the-top streaming service that includes NBC is fuboTV. And, better still, it also offers a FREE fuboTV trial (opens in new tab). 

The OTT streamer is a much more comprehensive cable replacement, and carries more than 100 channels including Fox, CBS and ESPN, for $64.99 a month.

How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade online from outside your country

If you're abroad right now, regional restrictions may prevent you from watching a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade live stream online.

Luckily, a VPN provides a simple solution. This piece of software alters your IP address to that of another country, which means you can gain access to your preferred IPTV service and watch episodes of the latest buzz-worthy shows from anywhere.

Use a VPN to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Parade from abroad

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Once downloaded, find the location of your home country – or select it from the pre-defined list – and just click connect.