You are reading an exclusive WrapPRO article for free. Want to level up your entertainment career? Click here to subscribe.
“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” rang in 2024 with its highest primetime viewership in three years.
The annual ABC special, which was hosted by 19-time host Ryan Seacrest as well as singer Rita Ora, drew 22.2 million viewers at midnight, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day fast national figures.
The celebration, which featured live performances by Megan Thee Stallion, Jelly Roll, Sabrina Carpenter and Tyla at New York City’s Times Square, kicked off at 8 p.m. ET. From 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET, the first part of the special drew in 7 million total viewers — up 35% from last year’s viewership of 5.2 million — and scored a 1.81 rating in the key broadcast demographic among adults 18-49 — up 33% from last year’s rating of 1.36.
From 10:30-11:30 p.m. ET, viewership grew to 10.4 million, outpacing last year’s total viewership of 8 million by 30%. Ratings also increased from last year’s 2.22 score by 32% to hit a 2.93 rating. During this timeslot, the special became the highest-rated primetime entertainment telecast across broadcast TV network since the Oscars in March 2023.
Both primetime segments of the special hit a three-year ratings high since the pandemic-filled year of 2020.
Likewise, CBS’ New Year’s Eve celebration of “Nashville’s Big Bash” averaged 8.31 million viewers as its first section aired from 7:30-10 p.m. ET, outpacing ABC’s first portion of primetime coverage by 18%. The CBS special more than doubled its primetime audience from last year, which scored 3.86 million viewers.
As expected, the show hit its peak audience in the lead-up to midnight, as the special scored 18 million total viewers and a 5.33 rating from 11:30 p.m. to approximately 12:30 a.m. ET, marking broadcast TV’s highest-rated entertainment special in 2 years since the 2021 broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
Similar to its primetime segments, viewership for the first late night section of the special was up 30% from last year’s 13.8 million total viewers, as was its rating, as the special soared 30% from last year’s rating of 4.11.
Naturally, viewership dropped off following the ball drop, though the celebration still managed to score 5.1 million total viewers and 1.47 rating as the final late night segment aired from 1:09 to 2:07 a.m. ET.
Performers who took the stage from Los Angeles included Aqua, Doechii, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monáe, Loud Luxury x Two Friends with Bebe Rexha, Ludacris, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Paul Russell, Reneé Rapp with Coco Jones and Thirty Seconds to Mars.
