The Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration is one of the most famous in the world. In addition to the millions expected to pack into the city square this evening, millions more will tune in across the nation to watch the ball drop and enjoy the vicarious confetti at their own homes or the parties they’re attending.
There are a lot more options for tuning in than there used to be, however. The iconic ball drop will be featured on several shows, which will be played on TV and livestreamed online. Here’s a list of when and where you can watch the ball drop during tonight’s big countdown.
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As always, ABC will broadcast Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy. The show will feature a performance by Mariah Carey, returning after her technical failure at last year’s bash, when she walked off the stage. The show can also be streamed on the ABC website for those away from their cable box. ABC’s show begins at 8 p.m.
CNN is also playing their usual show. This year, New Year’s Eve Live will be hosted again by Anderson Cooper, though Kathy Griffin will be replaced by Andy Cohen. Griffin was removed from the roster earlier this year after she posted a controversial picture of herself holding the president’s severed head. Since then, she’s been on a publicity tirade, claiming that she’s been blacklisted by everyone in entertainment — especially Andy Cohen. The CNN show will also begin at 8 p.m.
Andra Day will co-host Fox New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey. Their line-up is stacked, with performances by Maroon 5, Flo Rida, and Zac Brown Band — among many others. That show begins at 8 p.m., and can also be streamed on the Fox website depending on your Internet subscription bundle.
Fox News will broadcast a separate Times Square celebration show, hosted by Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery of Fox Business Network and Jesse Watters of Fox News. The show begins at 8 p.m. with a two-hour special called “Countdown to 2018,” hosted by various Fox News correspondents. Montgomery and Watters will take over at 10 p.m.
If cable coverage isn’t for you, there’s a commercial-free webcast from Times Square called the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The event will be hosted by Global Head of Rock at Spotify Allison Hagendorf and Jonathan Bennett, host of Cake Wars. Performers include Lauren Alaina and Andy Grammer.
The show begins at 6 p.m. with the raising of the ball. It can be viewed on TimesSquareNYC.org, NewYearsEve.nyc, Livestream.com/2018 and TimesSquareBall.net, and is also available on mobile devices through the Times Square Ball App.
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
