Happy New Year: How to Watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop & All the Performances Without Cable
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Quick Answer: Watch the New Year’s Eve ball drop — and all the evening’s performances — with a live streaming service like DirecTV Stream or fuboTV, which come with free trials.
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10, 9, 8 … It’s almost time to bid farewell to 2023 and ring in 2024. And while there are plenty of celebrations happening all over the world, all TV screens will be set to Times Square for the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop. If you can’t make it to New York City to celebrate the event in person, you can livestream the countdown at home. So grab some bubbly and set your timers — here’s how to watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop without cable.
How to Watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Online
A variety of channels will host New Year’s Eve specials leading up to the midnight countdown on Dec. 31. (Times Square’s own website will also have a livestream of the ball drop, starting at 6 p.m. ET.)
From “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” on CNN, to “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” on ABC, here’s where you can catch all the celebrations and livestream the New Year’s events without cable.
Watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop on DirecTV Stream
If you’ve cut the cord, you can still catch the New Year’s Eve TV festivities happening on local channels with DirecTV Stream. The streaming service includes a five-day free trial, and comes with access to local stations like ABC, NBC, and CBS, plus CNN. A DirecTV Stream Entertainment + Sports Pack starts at $69.98 a month for two months, then goes up to $94.98 a month after that.
Watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop on fuboTV
Another way to watch the New Year’s Eve ball drop, plus performances on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” is with a fuboTV subscription. After a one-day free trial, plans start at $54.99 a month for your first month. From there, a subscription increases to $74.99 a month. Cord-cutters will get access to ABC, CBS, plus NBC and FOX.
Watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop on Sling TV
Sling TV’s Blue package comes with local stations including ABC, CBS, and NBC. A subscription starts at $22.50 a month for the first month, then $45 a month from there. The package includes 42 channels, including CNN. In other words, all your New Year’s Eve streaming bases are covered.
Watch the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop on Hulu + Live TV
If this year has taught us anything, it’s that you can watch a majority of live TV events with Hulu + Live TV. Plans start at $76.99 a month, and come with ESPN+ and Disney+. You’ll get access to over 90 channels, including local TV on ABC, CBS, and NBC.
When Is the New Year’s Ball Drop?
The Times Square livestream kicks off at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on Dec. 31, 2023. Seacrest will return once again to host “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” which airs live on ABC starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The broadcast will include performances around the world, from NewJeans, Post Malone, Ivy Queen, plus Green Day, Janelle Monáe, and Reneé Rapp. You can livestream it with DirecTV Stream or fuboTV.
“New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” airs at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CNN, with performances from Rod Stewart, Darius Rucker, Enrique Iglesias, Miranda Lambert, Maroon 5, and the Jonas Brothers. Watch it live without cable with DirecTV Stream or fuboTV free trials.
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