ABC’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Ratings Again Lead Way In Ringing In 2019

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 drew an 8.3 household rating in the metered markets and a 6.5 adults 18-49 rating in the local people meters Monday night from 11:30 PM to 1:15 AM, the time period that included the ball drop in New York’s Times Square. The annual ABC telecast was the top show on the last night of 2018 though it was down double-digits from last year when the late-night portion, which faced lesser competition as NBC’ did not air New Year’s Eve, hit highs with a 11.2 rating in households and 8.3 in 18-49.

Carson Daly was back to host NBC’s New Year’s Eve, joined by Chrissy Teigen. The special, which raised some eyebrows for not showing the ball drop in Time Square, drew a 4.8 metered-market rating from 11:30 PM-12:30 AM and a 2.7 adults 18-49 rating, down slightly (-8% in households) from its most recent edition in 2016.

Fox’s Fox New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey drew a 3.8 in meter market households, 3.0 in 18-49 from 11 PM-12:30 AM. That was down from 4.9 and 3.5, respectively, last year.

ABC’s two-part Rockin’ Eve swept all primetime slots from 8-11 PM (2.6 rating, 9.10 million viewers) to help the network finish first overall on the night.

NBC’s New Year’s Eve drew a 1.3 18-49 rating and 5.41 million viewers overall from 10-10:58 PM. The network started the night with a two-hour A Toast To 2018! (0.9, 4.57M). From 8-11 PM, NBC averaged a 1.1 demo rating and 4.85M viewers, finishing second to ABC, and Fox a 0.9 with 2.96M sets of slightly bloodshot eyeballs.

CBS aired all reruns last night, while the CW re-showed the second night of its iHeartRadio Music Festival.