ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” once again proved to be the top choice for viewers on New Year’s Eve, drawing in an impressive 18.8 million viewers during its crucial 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. time slot, as reported by Nielsen ratings. This marked an increase from the previous year’s 17.9 million viewers, solidifying its position as the No. 1 entertainment broadcast special for the holiday. The telecast hit its peak at midnight, with over 30 million viewers tuning in to witness the iconic ball drop in Times Square, up from 29 million viewers the year before.
ABC’s tabulation of Nielsen data revealed that “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” outperformed CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash” by +255% and CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” by an undisclosed margin.
The 2025-into-2026 edition of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” ran for a record-breaking eight hours, making it the longest broadcast in the franchise’s history since its inception in 1971. The event kicked off at 8 p.m. ET and concluded at 4 a.m. ET, offering a marathon of entertainment for viewers. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora from Times Square, the show featured 42 performers across various locations including New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Puerto Rico, and more, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display along the Las Vegas strip.
The event also streamed live across numerous iHeartRadio stations nationwide, reaching 2 million listeners P6+ on Wednesday, representing a +9% increase from the previous year.
In terms of social media engagement, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2026” dominated primetime as the No. 1 program across all TV in total interactions and video views on New Year’s Eve. Busta Rhymes’ performance of “Look At Me Now” during DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! segment emerged as the most watched clip across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for the day.
Notable moments from the show included Diana Ross delivering a memorable performance with hits like “I’m Coming Out,” “The Boss,” “Upside Down,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and “Tomorrow.” The lineup also featured appearances by Ciara, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, and LE SSERAFIM.
Overall, the event garnered an average of 34 million total viewers throughout the night, with out-of-home viewership data yet to be accounted for.
It’s worth mentioning that Variety parent company PMC co-owns Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge, solidifying the success and reach of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” as a longstanding New Year’s Eve tradition.
