ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest delivered the highest ratings of any program on the final night of 2025.
The network’s 54th annual New Year’s Eve special averaged 18.8 million viewers during the 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET hour on Dec. 31/Jan. 1, according to Nielsen ratings.
That total is up from 17.9 million viewers last year, marking the night’s top entertainment broadcast and the special’s largest audience in four years.
ABC estimates the telecast peaked at midnight, with 30 million viewers tuning in to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve to watch the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square. That figure is up from 29 million viewers last year.
By comparison, CBS’ New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash drew 5.3 million viewers during the same hour, while specials on CNN and NBC trailed behind, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Beyond television, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve aired across iHeartMedia, reaching two million listeners across 150 stations — a 9% increase year over year.
The annual year-end event was hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with Rita Ora joining him as co-host in Times Square. Airing live beginning Wednesday (Dec. 31) at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, the telecast featured musical performances leading up to the iconic ball drop from Ciara, LE SSERAFIM, Little Big Town, Maren Morris and headliner Diana Ross.
Additional appearances throughout the evening included Chance the Rapper, who co-hosted and performed from Chicago alongside Jamila Woods, as well as a West Coast lineup featuring Mariah Carey, Zara Larsson, New Kids on the Block and DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic Live! with artists including Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean.
Other notable performances came from Post Malone in Nashville and Chappell Roan in Kansas City, along with Pitbull, 4 Non Blondes and others.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest is produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.
