Christina Pumphrey for Penske Media
ABC started the new year in first place as it led the network's annual New Year's Eve special broadcast contest.
The first half of “Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024” was split into two parts, which aired during the primetime 8-10 p.m. slot, recording 7 million total viewers and a 1.81 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. . That represents a 35% jump in total viewers over the previous year's telecast, which had an audience of 5.2 million, and a 33% increase among adults ages 18-49 (last year's show received a 1.36 rating). This makes Sunday night's broadcast the highest-rated since 2020.
With a 2.93 rating among adults 18-49, the telecast's second segment capped the highest-rated entertainment television on any network in primetime in the demo since “The Oscars” aired on ABC in March. Airing from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m., a total audience of 10.4 million viewers tuned in to the special, making the second part of the “New Year's Rockin' Eve” special the most-watched entertainment program of the night in prime time.
The late-night telecast aired from 11:30 pm to 12:37 am and recorded a total of 18 million viewers and an average rating of 5.33 in the 18-49 demographic. The program peaked around midnight, drawing a total of 22.2 million viewers and reaching a 6.41 rating in adults 18-49 as viewers tuned in to watch the ball drop. The late-night broadcast jumped 30% in total viewers over last year's numbers (13.8 million) and 30% among adults 18-49 (5.33 rating vs. 4.11 rating).
The second late-night telecast aired at 1:09 a.m., recording 5.1 million total viewers and a 1.47 rating among adults ages 18-49, reflecting significant growth from last year's broadcast of 19% in total viewers (5.1 1 million versus 4.3 million) and by 14% among adults 18-49 (rating 1.47 versus 1.29).
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