Thanksgiving is all about indulging in some of your favorite foods, reconnecting with loved ones and lounging in front of the TV while wondering if there’s any room for just one more slice of pie. But if you have recently started watching free TV using an over-the-air antenna, you might wonder how to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, football and your other favorite Turkey Day TV programs.
Once you find out what channels are available in your area, you can find out which popular Thanksgiving programs you can watch using your antenna. Then, read on to learn how to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and check out some of the best shows, games and events available on top local networks at this time of year.
Thanksgiving Shows on ABC
ABC has released its complete holiday lineup, with Thanksgiving-themed shows beginning on Nov. 16. For instance, you can catch the Thanksgiving episode of “The Rookie: Feds” on Thursday Nov. 17.
While no specials are scheduled on Thanksgiving Day, you can begin to enjoy holiday specials the following weekend. “Mickey Saves Christmas,” “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” and “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” will all be broadcast on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 27. You can catch them all free with your OTA antenna.
Thanksgiving Shows on CBS
If you’d like to know how to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade but aren’t worried about seeing the celebrity performers, you can catch the floats and more on CBS. The Thanksgiving Parade is live everywhere but the West Coast on this network. However, since CBS is not the official network for the event, it is not allowed to show any of the celebrity performers or mention Macy’s. On the plus side, they often cut to performances shot on theater stages, which adds a bit of variety.
This year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS will be hosted by Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight, with appearances by actors from popular shows on the network and special performances by the casts of the Broadway musicals “Moulin Rouge” and “Six the Musical.”
When it’s not a proper Turkey Day at your place without NFL football in the background, CBS is one of the networks that has you covered. The Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions game will begin at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on the network.
Before Thanksgiving, you can catch “The Greatest At Home Thanksgiving Videos” on Friday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. Eastern. And, after Thanksgiving, you can begin to enjoy many classic winter holiday specials on CBS, beginning with “Frosty the Snowman” on Friday, Nov. 25.
Thanksgiving Shows on Fox
It’s all about the pigskin on Turkey Day on the Fox network. With your OTA antenna, you’ll be able to catch the Dallas Cowboys taking on the New York Giants at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. This year, the Jonas Brothers are set to perform the halftime show, with a focus on kicking off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.
The week of Thanksgiving, you can watch some of the 2022 FIFA World Cup live on Fox, beginning Sunday, Nov. 20, with Qatar vs. Ecuador at 11 a.m. Eastern.
How to Watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and More on NBC
NBC is the official network of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But if you’re prepping for Turkey Day the night before, you may want to turn to the channel to catch “Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving” beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern. This special program provides a glimpse behind the scenes of the event. Following this will be “A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Special,” with memorable highlights of Thanksgiving-themed skits from the show’s 48 seasons.
The big parade will be aired on Thanksgiving morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern, with an encore airing at 2 p.m. New floats this year include Baby Shark by Pinkfong and Nickelodeon, Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party by Toys R Us, People of the First Light by Macy’s, Supersized Slumber by Netflix, Winter Dragon by Macy’s and The Wondership by Wonder.
In between, the National Dog Show, presented by Purina, will air from noon until 2 p.m., following the parade for the 21st year, with an encore presentation at 8 p.m. John O’Hurley and David Frei, who have co-hosted since the first airing, will reprise their roles as hosts, with Mary Carillo providing commentary and behind-the-scenes looks.
Thanksgiving Shows on PBS
Although “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” won’t be airing on PBS this year (it streams on Apple TV+), the network does have a lineup of holiday-related shows for little ones. Watch for special episodes, such as “Neighborhood Thank You Day” on “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Happy Turkey Day” on “Wild Kratts” and “An Arthur Thanksgiving.”
Other OTA Networks with Thanksgiving Shows, Movies and Events
Many other free OTA channels will be showing Thanksgiving specials before and during the holiday. For instance, a Thanksgiving episode of “The Bernie Mac Show” will play on Bounce TV, and the new holiday movie, “A Waltons’ Thanksgiving,” will air on The CW. So, be on the lookout for many of your old favorites and potential new ones!
