New Year’s Eve 2026: How to Watch the Ball Drop Live on TV

Cheers to a New Year! As we say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026, you may be planning to spend time partying with loved ones, donning silly glasses and hats, and playing with noisemakers, or you may be planning to see the midnight switch from the comfort of your couch or bed. In either case, celebrating the start of the New Year isn’t complete without participating in the time-honored tradition of seeing the big sparkly ball drop live.

Here, we’re breaking down all the ways the major TV networks are airing the ball drop live on New Year’s Eve this year.

ABC

ABC will once again celebrate the holiday with its annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2026 showcase. Host Ryan Seacrest will be joined in New York City’s Times Square by Rita Ora, with Chance the Rapper cohosting for the Central Time Zone countdown and Rob Gronkowski and Julianne Hough overseeing the Las Vegas celebration. Details are still to come for the Puerto Rico-set part of the show. The festivities will kick off at 8/7c on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu. A complete list of details is available here.

CBS

CBS is once again airing its country music-themed New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash bonanza, this time with Ber Kreischer and HARDY serving as hosts. Headliners for the event include Lainey Wilson, Jason Aldean, and Bailey Zimmerman, with additional performances by Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, CeCe Winans, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Brittney Spencer, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Parker McCollum, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The event will run for five hours, starting at 8/7c. Find out more here.

CNN

Once again, CNN will feature Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen as the cohosts of their annual CNN New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen special, airing live from Times Square. The cable news network’s all-day coverage will begin at 7a/6c on New Year’s Eve and feature reporting from across the world, like John Berman and Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi; Kristie Lu Stout and Will Ripley in Bangkok, Thailand; Laura Coates and Isa Soares in London; and Boris Sanchez in Paris. Performances throughout the day will be given by acts like Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, Chris Isaak, OK Go, Flo Rida, Aly & AJ, Burna Boy, and Cheat Codes with Cee Lo Green. The primetime event will begin at 8/7c and feature guest appearances and performances by Stephen Colbert, Robyn, Shakira, Brandy and Monica, Bryan Adams, Florence + the Machine, RAYE, Oz Perlman, Amy Sedaris, Brandi Carlile, Aloe Blacc, Patti LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Romjin and Jerry O’Connell, B.J. Novak, Leanne Morgan, and Sarah Sherman. The night will also feature on-site coverage from Richard Quest in Times Square, Randi Kaye in New Orleans, Stephanie Elam in the Bahamas, Isabel Rosales in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Harry Enten in Prescott, Arizona. More details are available here.

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NBC

NBC originally planned to air a network special emceed by Snoop Dogg, but that was canceled, reportedly due to scheduling issues. Instead, it will air A Toast to 2025! cohosted by Hoda Kotb and Jenna Hager, with plans to look back at the biggest moments of 2025, starting at 10:30/9:30c. At 12:30a/11:30c, the network will then run a Fireworks Around the World special featuring pyrotechnic displays from across the world, in places like Sydney, Australia, Times Square, and Paris.

Web & YouTube

Times Square’s official webcast will also feature commercial-free viewing of the ball drop, and the Times Square livestream will also air live on YouTube.

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