NBC’s Thanksgiving Day special, “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina®,” will crown one of America’s great purebreds as its 2019 champion on Thanksgiving Day, bringing canine competition and family entertainment to America’s viewers for the 18th year.
The holiday special (noon-2 p.m. in all time zones) follows the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® on NBC and is watched annually by a total of more than 20 million viewers. Some 2,000 dogs compete for Best in Show honors in the tradition-rich Kennel Club of Philadelphia competition. An encore presentation airs on NBC in primetime on Friday, November 29, from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT. Additional detail on how to watch is available here.
The TV special is a celebration of man’s best friend, hosted by prominent TV personality and Broadway star John O’Hurley (“Seinfield,” “Dancing with the Stars”) and expert analyst David Frei, America’s foremost expert on all things canine. They have been together since the launch of the popular holiday special in 2002. NBC correspondent and sports broadcasting Hall-of-Famer, Mary Carillo, will report from the backstage benching area as the dogs prepare to compete. Former Olympic figure skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski will also lend their distinctive presence as digital contributors.
The show’s popularity is a tribute to the dogs in our lives and its time slot following the Macy’s Parade from noon-2 p.m. in all time zones, before football viewing takes over the day. The show was an immediate hit when it debuted in 2002 and it has delivered some of its biggest audiences these past few years.
The National Dog Show Presented by Purina will be featured in different digital formats including a live stream of NBC’s Thanksgiving Day telecast via NBC Sports online at NBCSports.com/Live, or through the NBC Sports app, which is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
NBC’s digital coverage will also include on-demand coverage of all seven groups plus “Best in Show.” In addition, NBCSports.com and NationalDogShow.com will provide video of the examination of every breed in the group judging competition with specific commentary by Wayne Ferguson, the President of The Kennel Club of Philadelphia.
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