US Trends

what app can you watch the ball drop

You can watch the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop on several major streaming apps, plus a completely free official livestream.

Fast answer

The most common apps where you can watch the ball drop are:

  • YouTube (Times Square official channel, Associated Press live streams)
  • Network TV streaming apps that carry New Year’s specials, such as:
    • Hulu + Live TV (ABC, NBC, etc.)
* YouTube TV

* Fubo

* DirecTV Stream
  • Official Times Square livestream via browser or smart‑TV web app (TimesSquareNYC site; often embedded on YouTube as well)

So if you just want “an app,” the easiest options are usually YouTube or a live‑TV streaming app that carries ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN’s New Year’s Eve specials.

Main ways to watch

1. Free official stream (no commentary)

  • The Times Square organizers provide a commercial‑free livestream of the ball drop and performances that you can watch through a browser on most smart TVs, phones, or tablets.
  • Many people also use the official Times Square YouTube channel , which shows the ball drop without the heavy host commentary you see on network TV.

2. YouTube & news streams

  • You can open the YouTube app and search “New Year’s Eve ball drop” or “Times Square ball drop live”; users report finding reliable live streams from Associated Press and the official Times Square feed this way.
  • This option works well on smart TVs, streaming sticks (Roku, Fire TV, etc.), phones, and game consoles that have a YouTube app.

3. Live‑TV streaming apps

To watch the ball drop as part of the big New Year’s Eve TV specials:

  • ABC – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” streams on apps that include ABC, like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream.
  • CBS – New Year’s Eve specials such as Nashville’s “Big Bash” are available on CBS via those same live‑TV apps, and often on Paramount+ Premium.
  • CNN – “New Year’s Eve Live” with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen streams through CNN’s own subscription streaming access or via CNN in a live‑TV bundle app.

These give you the big performances, hosts, and coast‑to‑coast coverage, not just the ball itself.

4. Smart‑TV and device apps

  • Some specials (like Nexstar’s “Coast‑to‑Coast Countdown”) also appear in local‑station apps such as KTLA+ or WGN+ , or on certain smart‑TV platforms like Samsung TV Plus.
  • If your TV has built‑in channels or free FAST (free ad‑supported TV) apps, check their New Year’s Eve section on the night of December 31.

TL;DR: If you just want one simple choice, use YouTube and search “Times Square ball drop live,” or open a live‑TV streaming app (Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream) and tune to ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN’s New Year’s Eve specials.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.