Lilly Singh and Terry Crews will host annual extravaganza, TheWrap has learned
The future (of parades) is now. This year, NBC and Verizon’s 360-degree livestream of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will incorporate 5G technology to add hologram and augmented-reality features to the livestream, TheWrap has learned exclusively. Lilly Singh and Terry Crews will host the high-tech annual Turkey Day extravaganza.
The “A Little Late With Lilly Singh” host and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star will post up in Central Park, while actors Christian Acosta and Nastassja Bolivar take place at Bryant Park. Ross Mathews will steer the 360 Roving Camera from inside the parade, we’re told.

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Click Here Already a subscriber? LoginIn-person parade-attendees can visit Verizon’s 5G Portal in Bryant Park, where they can pick up a Samsung Note 10 +5G for a virtual tour of the performances in Herald Square. Using the devices, they’ll be able to control how they view and focus on the balloons, floats and performers.
For viewers watching from home, unique livestream features include holographic appearances by surprise celebrity guests, including “American Ninja Warrior” co-host Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. Virtual balloons will also pop up throughout the livestream, which will animate and transform based on fan feedback from Twitter polls, with fun facts appearing alongside physical parade floats and performers.
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For those wondering what exactly 5G is (like we were, before writing this post), the technology is similar to 4G, the mobile network that allows us to make calls, send texts and use the internet on our smartphones. The main difference is that 5G transmits video and data at a much faster rate with higher resolution.
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, and is now live in 15 cities in public spaces like indoor arenas, stadiums and parks.
“Together with NBC and Macy’s, we’re able to demonstrate how the power of Verizon 5G will help to re-imagine one of the biggest cultural moments of the year,” Verizon chief media officer John Nitti said. “We’ve been creating innovative viewing experiences since we launched the first-ever Macy’s Parade 360 livestream three years ago and now our 5G Portal will put viewers at the center of the action and allow them to be part of the Parade like never before.”
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Yeah, what John said.
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an institution that continues to bring families together across generations, and with new technologies like 5G, we’re able to introduce audiences of all ages to new ways to catch the action wherever they are,” Mark Marshall, president of advertising sales and partnerships at NBCUniversal said. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Verizon for the 4th year in a row to give fans on 6th Avenue and at home a fresh perspective on a beloved annual tradition.”
Readers can watch the Verizon 360 Livestream starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on on YouTube, as well as on Verizon Media, XBox, and NBC.com.
18 Most-Watched TV Specials of 2018: Oscars, Emmys and Everyone Loves a Parade (Photos)
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With increased competition and a general downward trend in live viewing, television specials tend to feel, well, less special with each passing year. There are still quite a few annual must-see live-TV hours -- and no, we're not even talking about sports (for this one).
From the Oscars to the Emmys and everything toward the top, TheWrap ranked the 18 most-watched broadcast-television entertainment specials of 2018.
Thanks to "Jesus Christ Superstar Live," we've got a musical on the list again this year.
Also Read: ‘The Alec Baldwin Show’ Banished to Saturdays by ABC
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Getty
Rank: 18
Special: Rose Bowl Parade
Date: Jan. 1
Net: ABC
Total Viewers: 7 millionAlso Read: Happy Halloween! Here’s How Daytime TV Dressed up (Photos)
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Getty
Rank: 17
Special: Oscars Red Carpet (6:30 p.m.)
Date: March 4
Net: ABC
Total Viewers: 7.1 millionAlso Read: 2018 Holiday TV Specials: Here Are 20 Programs Sure to Make Your Days Merry and Bright (Photos)
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Getty
Rank: 16
Special: Elton John Grammy Salute
Date: April 10
Net: CBS
Total Viewers: 7.2 millionAlso Read: ‘SNL’ Five-Timers Club: Most Frequent Hosts, From Alec Baldwin to Jonah Hill (Photos)
-
YouTube
Rank: 15
Special: Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials
Date: Jan. 30
Net: CBS
Total Viewers: 7.3 millionAlso Read: Every WWE Champion Ever, Ranked by Number of Reigns (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 14
Special: Macy's 4th of July Fireworks
Date: July 4
Net: NBC
Total Viewers: 7.4 millionAlso Read: 16 Best Thanksgiving TV Episodes and Specials Ever (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 13
Special: Billboard Music Awards
Date: May 20
Net: NBC
Total Viewers: 7.9 millionAlso Read: Netflix in December: What’s Coming and Going That You Should Really, Really Watch (Photos)
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CBS
Rank: 12
Special: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Date: Nov. 27
Net: CBS
Total Viewers: 8.1 millionAlso Read: ‘Total Divas’ Star Natalya Neidhart Exclusive StudioWrap Portraits (Photos)
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CBS
Rank: 11
Special: Thanksgiving Day Parade
Date: Nov. 22
Net: CBS
Total Viewers: 8.4 millionAlso Read: 2018 Holiday TV Specials: Here Are 20 Programs Sure to Make Your Days Merry and Bright (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 10
Special: Jesus Christ Superstar Live
Date: April 1
Net: NBC
Total Viewers: 9.6 millionAlso Read: Ratings: CMA Awards Crumble 34 Percent From 2017 to New Low
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Getty
Rank: 9
Special: Oscars Red Carpet (7 p.m.)
Date: March 4
Net: ABC
Total Viewers: 10 millionAlso Read: TV Shows Each Net Is Most Thankful For: Viewers Really Gobble (Gobble) These Up
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Getty
Rank: 8
Special: Country Music Awards
Date: Nov. 14
Net: ABC
Total Viewers: 10.1 millionAlso Read: ‘Walking Dead’ Midseason Finale Loses 35 Percent of Last Year’s Viewers
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Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Rank: 7
Special: Emmy Awards
Date: Sept. 17
Net: NBC
Total Viewers: 10.2 millionAlso Read: Ratings: NBC’s Expanded Christmas-Tree Lighting Loses Power, Drops 24 Percent
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Getty
Rank: 6
Special: ACM Awards
Date: April 15
Net: CBS
Total Viewers: 12.1 millionAlso Read: 17 Highest-Rated Canceled or Ending TV Shows of 2017-18 Season – So Far (Photos)
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Getty
Rank: 5
Special: Oscars Red Carpet (7:31 p.m.)
Date: March 4
Net: ABC
Total Viewers: 13.2 million viewersAlso Read: 11 Highest-Rated TV Shows of 2017-18 Season (Photos)
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Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Rank: 4
Special: Golden Globe Awards
Date: Jan. 7
Net: NBC
Total Viewers: 19 millionAlso Read: 12 Lowest-Rated TV Shows of 2017-18 Season (Photos)
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Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS
Rank: 3
Special: Grammy Awards
Date: Jan. 28
Net: CBS
Total Viewers: 19.8 millionAlso Read: ‘America’s Got Talent’ to ‘Celebrity Family Feud': 15 Highest-Rated TV Shows of Summer 2018 (Photos)
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NBC
Rank: 2
Special: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Date: Nov. 22
Net: NBC
Total Viewers: 23.7 million -
Getty
Rank: 1
Special: Academy Awards
Date: March 4
Net: ABC
Total Viewers: 26.6 millionAlso Read: ‘NBC Nightly News’ Suffers Lowest-Rated Year Ever
Maybe next year, AMAs and Tonys
With increased competition and a general downward trend in live viewing, television specials tend to feel, well, less special with each passing year. There are still quite a few annual must-see live-TV hours -- and no, we're not even talking about sports (for this one).
From the Oscars to the Emmys and everything toward the top, TheWrap ranked the 18 most-watched broadcast-television entertainment specials of 2018.
Thanks to "Jesus Christ Superstar Live," we've got a musical on the list again this year.
Also Read: ‘The Alec Baldwin Show’ Banished to Saturdays by ABC
Margeaux Sippell
TV Reporter • margeaux.sippell@thewrap.com • @margeauxsippell