D_ck Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Rita Ora scores best ratings in 4 years

January 5

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ABC’s **** Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve delivered the highest ratings of any program on the final night of 2025.

The network’s 54th annual New Year’s Eve special averaged 18.8 million viewers during the 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET hour on Dec. 31/Jan. 1, according to Nielsen ratings.

That total is up from 17.9 million viewers last year, marking the night’s top entertainment broadcast and the special’s largest audience in four years.

ABC estimates the telecast peaked at midnight, with 30 million viewers tuning in to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve to watch the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square. That figure is up from 29 million viewers last year.

By comparison, CBS’ New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash drew 5.3 million viewers during the same hour, while specials on CNN and NBC trailed behind, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The late-night segment nearly doubled its year-ago performance in both total viewers (+85% – 8.25 million vs. 4.45 million) and adults 18-49 (+88% – 2.31 vs. 1.23 rating), hitting eight-year highs in both measures, according to dcp.

The annual year-end event was hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with Rita Ora joining him as co-host in Times Square.

Additional appearances throughout the evening included Chance the Rapper, who co-hosted and performed from Chicago alongside Jamila Woods, as well as a West Coast lineup featuring Mariah Carey, Zara Larsson, New Kids on the Block and DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic Live! with artists including Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean.

Other notable performances came from Post Malone in Nashville and Chappell Roan in Kansas City, along with Pitbull, 4 Non Blondes and others.

https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/****-clarks-new-years-rockin-eve-four-year-ratings-high-1236148581/