ABC's New Year's Eve Special Sees Highest Ratings in Four Years
The 54th annual New Year's Eve special, hosted by Ryan Seacrest and co-hosted by Rita Ora in Times Square, drew a massive audience of 18.8 million viewers on December 31, making it the top entertainment broadcast of the night and the show's largest audience in four years.
According to Nielsen ratings, this year's telecast saw an increase of 0.9 million viewers compared to last year's 17.9 million, marking a significant jump in viewership. The show's peak hour, which aired from 11:30 p.m. to midnight ET, drew an impressive 30 million viewers tuning in to watch the iconic ball drop in New York City's Times Square - an increase of 1 million viewers from last year.
The late-night segment nearly doubled its year-ago performance, attracting 8.25 million viewers and a rating of 2.31 among adults aged 18-49. These numbers represent eight-year highs for the show, demonstrating its enduring popularity. The event was broadcast across iHeartMedia's network of 150 stations, reaching two million listeners - a 9% increase year-over-year.
The telecast featured an exciting lineup of musical performances, including headliner Diana Ross, as well as appearances by Ciara, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, and Chance the Rapper. The show's diverse range of performances catered to various tastes, ensuring something for everyone in its massive audience.
Ryan Seacrest's hosting duties were complemented by Rita Ora's co-hosting role, with both bringing their unique energy to the special. The production team behind Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
The success of this year's New Year's Eve special sets a high bar for future events, as it demonstrates the enduring appeal of the show. With its impressive ratings, memorable performances, and engaging hosting duo, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest remains a must-watch event on December 31st.
The 54th annual New Year's Eve special, hosted by Ryan Seacrest and co-hosted by Rita Ora in Times Square, drew a massive audience of 18.8 million viewers on December 31, making it the top entertainment broadcast of the night and the show's largest audience in four years.
According to Nielsen ratings, this year's telecast saw an increase of 0.9 million viewers compared to last year's 17.9 million, marking a significant jump in viewership. The show's peak hour, which aired from 11:30 p.m. to midnight ET, drew an impressive 30 million viewers tuning in to watch the iconic ball drop in New York City's Times Square - an increase of 1 million viewers from last year.
The late-night segment nearly doubled its year-ago performance, attracting 8.25 million viewers and a rating of 2.31 among adults aged 18-49. These numbers represent eight-year highs for the show, demonstrating its enduring popularity. The event was broadcast across iHeartMedia's network of 150 stations, reaching two million listeners - a 9% increase year-over-year.
The telecast featured an exciting lineup of musical performances, including headliner Diana Ross, as well as appearances by Ciara, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, and Chance the Rapper. The show's diverse range of performances catered to various tastes, ensuring something for everyone in its massive audience.
Ryan Seacrest's hosting duties were complemented by Rita Ora's co-hosting role, with both bringing their unique energy to the special. The production team behind Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
The success of this year's New Year's Eve special sets a high bar for future events, as it demonstrates the enduring appeal of the show. With its impressive ratings, memorable performances, and engaging hosting duo, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest remains a must-watch event on December 31st.
it's clear why people keep coming back for more - this show just knows how to put on a good show! and 30 mil viewers is insane 
, but still... 30 million people watching the ball drop in one hour? That's just insane. 
And the fact that they upscaled from last year by a million viewers is huge. But what really got me was how well Rita Ora fit in with Ryan Seacrest - I didn't think anyone could replace Dick Clark, but she pulled it off seamlessly. The musical lineup was on point too...
. The lineup of performances was on point too - who wouldn't want to see Diana Ross and Chance the Rapper perform live? 
The show's peak hour drew in an insane 30 million viewers, which is just mind-blowing 
.
Now that this year's special has broken records, I'm curious to see how they'll top it next year... will they keep the momentum going or try something new? 
The nostalgia factor is real w/ Diana Ross as the headliner and the lineup of performances was lit 
! Ryan Seacrest & Rita Ora made an amazing hosting duo, I love how they brought their own vibes to the show 
#NYE2025 #DickClarkRockinEve #RyanSeacrest #RitaOra #DianaRoss #MustWatchTV
. The show seems really well-produced too, with all these different performers and hosting duo - Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora seem to have good chemistry 
. It's nice to see something that brings people together like this, especially on New Year's Eve when everyone is looking forward to a fresh start 
.
and Rita Ora just seems like another try-hard trying to fill her friend's shoes 
anyway, whoever books the musical acts gets a huge win - Diana Ross slayed!