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Thanksgiving Day pumpkin pie with whipped cream, autumn and winter dessert
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Mapped: America’s favorite Thanksgiving pie

Google Trends data reveals where US states stand in the great pie debate — pumpkin, pecan, or apple?

Millie Giles

What’s more American than apple pie (besides, of course, death, taxes, and the stock market going up relentlessly)? On Thanksgiving, at least, it’s pumpkin pie.

In the run-up to Turkey Day, bakeries big and small, and home cooks good and bad, have been making, decorating, or defrosting one or another form of pie… most likely something squash-based. A recent YouGov survey found that 29% of Americans said their favorite type of pie to eat on Thanksgiving is pumpkin, followed by apple (20%), pecan (14%), sweet potato (9%), chocolate (9%), and cherry (5%).

However, like many dinner-table conversations that’ll take place on Thursday, the type of pie that’s presented post-meal depends a lot on where you’re from and where you live.

Over the past 30 days, there were more search queries for “pumpkin pie” than any other type of pie in all but six US states. Indeed, only Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Jersey googled “apple pie” more often or as much as its pumpkin counterpart… while only Southern states Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi saw a greater search volume for “pecan pie.”

However you slice it… 

America has a long, storied history with pumpkin pie. According to the Library of Congress, colonial settlers in New England were making the sweet treat as early as 1655, appearing in published cookbooks by 1796. Today, pilgrims or otherwise, pumpkin spice still has a firm place on the Thanksgiving table, but now the flavor holds a broader cultural significance in the “autumn vibes” space (see also: the Starbucks PSL).

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Netflix on Tuesday announced that it has spent more than $135 billion on licensing and original film and TV over the past decade.

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According to Netflix, the company has contributed $325 billion to the global economy in that time, creating more than 425,000 jobs.

As Sherwood News has previously reported, Netflix continues to increase its content spend, but that investment has notably slowed in recent years when weighed against revenue, dropping from a content spend ratio of $0.72 per $1 of revenue in December 2019 to $0.40 per $1 in March. This year, the company has projected a content spend of $20 billion, up 10% year over year. The company’s annual revenue forecast is between $50.7 billion and $51.7 billion.

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Disney is no longer considering spinning off ESPN, reports Business Insider

Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro, is said to have decided against spinning off sports giant ESPN, according to reporting by Business Insider.

The House of Mouse may still seek other partners to take minority stakes in ESPN, per the report. The NFL gained a 10% stake in the company last year in a deal that saw ESPN acquire NFL Network.

There’s been an ongoing push for several years to spin off ESPN, both inside Disney and from analysts and activist investors. Earlier this year, ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro downplayed rumors that emerged amid D’Amaro’s takeover, saying he’s heard the rumor since “the day [he] started at ESPN eight years ago.”

Disney shares were essentially flat in after-hours trading following the report.

Disney has decided to keep ESPN

Disney has decided to keep ESPN

There’s been an ongoing push for several years to spin off ESPN, both inside Disney and from analysts and activist investors. Earlier this year, ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro downplayed rumors that emerged amid D’Amaro’s takeover, saying he’s heard the rumor since “the day [he] started at ESPN eight years ago.”

Disney shares were essentially flat in after-hours trading following the report.

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