ABC kicked off the new year with a No. 1 as the network’s annual New Year’s Eve special led the broadcast competition.
Split into two parts, the first half of the “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2024,” which aired during the 8-10 p.m. primetime block, recorded 7 million total viewers and 1.81 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. That marks a 35% jump in total viewers from the previous year’s telecast, which raked in an audience of 5.2 million, and an increase of 33% among Adults 18-49 (last year’s show earned a 1.36 rating). Thus, making the Sunday night broadcast its highest rated since 2020.
With a 2.93 rating among Adults 18-49, Part 2 of the telecast was crowned the highest-rated entertainment telecast on any network in primetime in the demo since ABC’s March broadcast of “The Oscars.” Airing from 10:30- 11:30 pm, an audience of 10.4 million total viewers tuned into the special, making Part 2 of the “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” special the night’s most-viewed entertainment program in primetime.
The late night telecast, which took place during 11:30 p.m.-12:37 a.m. scored 18 million total viewers and an average 5.33 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The program peaked around midnight, drawing in 22.2 million total viewers and hit a 6.41 Adult 18-49 rating as viewers tuned in to watch the ball drop. The late night broadcast jumped 30% in Total Viewers from last year’s figures (13.8 million) and by 30% among Adults 18-49 (5.33 rating vs. 4.11 rating).
The second late night telecast, which aired at 1:09 a.m., recorded 5.1 million total viewers and a 1.47 rating among Adults 18-49, reflecting a significant growth from last year’s broadcast by 19% in total viewers (5.1 million vs. 4.3 million) and by 14% among Adults 18-49 (1.47 rating vs. 1.29 rating).