US Trends

where to stream ball drop

You can stream the New York Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop for free on the official Times Square webcast and on several major TV/streaming specials that carry live coverage of the countdown and drop.

Official free livestream

  • The official Times Square livestream offers a commercial‑free broadcast of the full celebration and the ball drop. It typically runs about 6.5 hours, starting around 6 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve and includes the countdown and midnight drop.
  • You can watch this free stream via:
    • The official Times Square website (TimesSquareNYC.org).
* Their partnered streaming destinations like YouTube and other linked platforms listed on the site.

Major TV/streaming specials

Several New Year’s Eve TV specials also show the Times Square countdown and/or the ball drop, which you can access through regular TV or live‑TV streaming services.

  • ABC – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”
    • Carries Times Square performances and the midnight countdown.
    • Streamable if your live‑TV service includes ABC (e.g., Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream).
  • NBC – specials such as “A Toast to 2025” and New Year’s Eve coverage
    • NBC’s New Year’s programming often cuts to Times Square near midnight.
    • Available via NBC on cable/antenna or through live‑TV streamers and Peacock for applicable specials.
  • CNN – “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen”
    • Features live segments from Times Square leading up to midnight.
    • Available via CNN through pay‑TV logins or CNN’s own streaming subscription platform and apps, where offered.

Streaming without traditional cable

If you do not have cable or antenna, you can still stream the ball drop via:

  • The official Times Square free webcast (no pay‑TV required).
  • Live‑TV streaming services that carry ABC, NBC, or CNN, such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, or DirecTV Stream; these will mirror the broadcast specials that include the ball drop.
  • Various news or publisher YouTube channels (for example, major outlets sometimes host a live “New Year’s ball drop in Times Square” stream), though availability and camera angles can vary and may focus more on crowd shots than performances.

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