It's time to wave goodbye to 2018 and usher in the New Year, so we've put together a handy guide to watching New Year's Eve countdown specials and the Times Square ball drop online. There will be the usual TV New Year's specials on networks like CNN, ABC and FOX, and for parents there are also 14 New Year's Eve Countdown Specials available on Netflix, featuring characters like King Julien and the Boss Baby.
Whether you're welcoming the start of 2019 with a quiet night in, or you're just looking for something to put on the background of your wild New Year's Eve party, here's where to watch the biggest TV specials and how to stream the Times Square ball drop online.
Related: 10 Best New Year’s Eve Scenes of All Time
New Year's Eve Countdown Specials
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest (ABC) - The long running New Year's Eve special continues with Ryan Seacrest hosting alongside Jenny McCarthy in Times Square, and Ciara hosting on the West Coast. The broadcast will begin at 8pm EST and feature musical performances from Christina Aguilera, Bastille, New Kids on the Block, and Dan + Shay. Watch on TV or stream live from ABC's website.
NBC's New Year's Eve (NBC) - Hosted by Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen with musical performances from Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and John Legend. Broadcast from 10-11pm and then 11:30pm-12:30am EST. You can watch the livestream online on NBC's website.
New Year's Eve With Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square (Fox) - Steve Harvey hosts Fox's New Year's Eve special with musical performances from Sting, Robin Thicke, Florence + the Machine, Snoop Dogg and more. The broadcast will begin at 8pm EST. You can watch on TV or live on Fox's website.
New Year's Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen (CNN) - Hosts Cooper and Cohen return for CNN's live special from Times Square, which can also be streamed live online. The broadcast begins at 8pm EST.
Netflix New Year's Eve Countdown Specials
Are you celebrating the New Year with your kids? Why not count down to 2019 before bedtime with one of Netflix's 14 New Year's Eve Specials - each 1-2 minutes long, and designed to allow parents and children to have their New Year's Eve countdown a little earlier in the evening. As Boss Baby puts it, "Tonight we're going to party like it's four hours past our bedtime!"
Here's the full list of Netflix's New Year's Eve Countdowns:
- Alexa and Katie
- All Hail King Julien
- Beat Bugs
- The Boss Baby
- Fuller House
- Larva Island
- Motown Magic
- Pinky Malinky
- Prince of Peoria
- Skylanders Academy
- Spirit Riding Free
- Super Monsters
- Tales of Arcadia
- True and the Rainbow Kingdom
How To Watch The Times Square Ball Drop Online
If you're not really interested in any of the above specials, but you still want to celebrate the New Year by watching the Times Square ball drop live online via a video stream on the official Times Square website. Alternatively, you can watch live via the official Times Square Facebook page. Both streams are also available on mobile devices.