‘Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve’ Scores Best Ratings In 4 Years

ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” once again dominated the New Year’s Eve television landscape, drawing an average of 18.8 million viewers during its pivotal 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. time slot, as reported by Nielsen ratings. This marked an increase from the previous year, where the show garnered 17.9 million viewers.

The annual telecast, produced by Dick Clark Prods., reclaimed its title as the No. 1 entertainment broadcast special of New Year’s Eve, peaking at midnight with over 30 million viewers tuning in to witness the iconic ball drop in Times Square. This audience surge represented growth from the previous year’s 29 million viewers.

In a head-to-head comparison, ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” outperformed CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash” by a significant margin of +255% and also surpassed CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” in viewership figures.

The 2025-into-2026 edition of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” set a new record for the longest runtime in the franchise’s history, spanning nearly eight hours from 8 p.m. ET to 4 a.m. ET. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora in New York’s Times Square, the event featured 42 performers across various locations including New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Puerto Rico, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display along the Las Vegas strip.

Additionally, the show was simulcast live on numerous iHeartRadio stations nationwide, reaching 2 million listeners P6+ on Wednesday, showcasing a +9% increase from the previous year.

Social media analytics highlighted the event’s digital footprint, with “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2026” ranking 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 captivating performance of her hits, Ciara, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, and LE SSERAFIM also graced the stage with their musical talents.

The overall viewership for the event averaged 34 million total viewers throughout the night, with out-of-home viewership data yet to be accounted for.

Variety parent company PMC holds a joint venture with Eldridge in owning Dick Clark Prods., further solidifying the success and impact of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” as a beloved New Year’s tradition.