National Dog Show On NBC, Peacock Delivers Audience Reach Of Over 20 Million Once Again

The National Dog Show Presented by Purina on NBC and Peacock reached an audience of almost 23 million on Thanksgiving weekend, delighting families across the United States as part of a viewing tradition that marked 23 years of celebrating man’s best friend.

NBC Research data shows that the two-hour special was the No. 3 most-watched program of the holiday season with viewership up 5% from 2023 as American households embraced the holiday tradition of watching the National Dog Show following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, before TV football takes over the day. The National  Dog Show’s audience reach came in at 22.8 million.

In addition to the noontime, two-hour special (in all time zones), coverage included an encore presentation Sunday afternoon as “Vito,” the adorable Pug, won Best in Show—the first Pug to achieve the honor since the show launched in 2002.

“The National Dog Show has become a very special two hours of television.  It is a tribute to the dogs in our lives and the power of the family holiday of Thanksgiving plus the engaging production and the charm of on-air personalities John O’Hurley, David Frei and Mary Carillo,” offered Jon Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships for NBC Sports, who created the show. “Our partners at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and dog lovers spanning four generations are a huge part of the magic.”

Host O’Hurley and expert analyst Frei returned for their 23rd year of hosting together while Mary Carillo marked her twelfth year on the broadcast team, working the benching area and delivering feature content, one of the show’s trademark attractions.

With heavy interest from dog lovers and breed enthusiasts around the world,  www.NationalDogShow.com and the NBC Sports YouTube Channel provides video of every breed-winning dog (over 200 total) in the group competition. The video features the walks, examinations and judging, with close-ups and handlers interacting with the judge in most cases.

The Kennel Club of Philadelphia staged its first show in the 1800s and has operated the Philadelphia cluster of shows annually since 1933. It takes place each November at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks/Valley Forge, PA.