Watch the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball drop via a live video feed on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, or watch the countdown to 2016 on your local ABC or NBC TV station. Whether you are at home, at an NYE party, or traveling during the final seconds of 2015, you won’t have to miss the big “3-2-1 Happy New Year” moment thanks to live streams, free apps, and good old-fashioned New Year’s Eve TV shows.
Here’s to a bright & colorful #2016! The @timessquareball & its @Philips lights are ready for tomorrow. #BallDrop pic.twitter.com/Ae5JKfmTva
— Times Square (@TimesSquareNYC) December 30, 2015
According to ABC News , at least one million people are expected to be in New York City’s Times Square to watch the ball drop on Thursday night. Although there’s nothing like being right there to see the almost 12,000-pound ball drop from high atop One Times Square, you won’t have to battle the crowds when the 60-second event is over.
Wherever you are on New Year’s Eve, find several options for watching the ball drop below. Chill a bottle of wine, grab some snacks, brush up on your “Auld Lang Syne” lyrics , and get ready to yell “Happy New Year” when the Times Square Ball drops at the stroke of midnight.
Thanks to Times Square NYC , you can get the full New Year’s Eve Ball drop experience right on your computer, mobile phone, or tablet. The live Webcast will stream right in the player below from 6 p.m. ET on December 31, 2015, until shortly after midnight on January 1, 2016.
You can also watch all of the festivities, including the lighting of the Times Square Ball (6 p.m. ET) on one of two official (and free) streaming sites — TimesSquareNYC.org and TimesSquareBall.net .
On a mobile device? Scroll down for options on how to view the live stream via a free app as well as options for watching on your television if you’re at a party or celebrating in your pajamas on the couch.
If you’re on the go, watch the countdown on your iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone or tablet with the free Times Square Ball Drop mobile app. The app will stream the events that are taking place in and around Times Square in NYC from 6 p.m. ET on Thursday night until shortly after 12 midnight on New Year’s Day.
If you are going to be near a television on New Year’s Eve, the festivities will be broadcast on ABC and NBC. This year, MTV will not be broadcasting an NYE special, but you can spend the first six minutes of 2016 watching the Teen Wolf Season 5B teaser.
Ryan Seacrest is back to host Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2016 starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. This year’s headliner is Carrie Underwood, but there will be performances throughout the night by Luke Bryan, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, One Direction, and many other popular music artists. Although Taylor Swift won’t be performing live, Dick Clark Productions reports that her new music video, “Out of the Woods” will premiere during NYRE .
Share a photo of your #NewYears plans using #MoetMoment2015 for the chance to win something special from @MoetUSA ! pic.twitter.com/pdQMucs4Gp
— Times Square (@TimesSquareNYC) December 28, 2015
NBC will broadcast two New Year’s Eve shows on Thursday night. Bravo’s Andy Cohen will host New Year’s Eve Game Night from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. After a 30-minute local news programming, Carson Daly will host a New Year’s Eve special (11:30 p.m. ET) with performances by Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, and more.
You can also watch both shows and the Times Square Ball drop on your mobile device by downloading the Watch ABC app ( New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2016 with Ryan Seacrest ) or the NBC mobile app ( New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly ) for your iPhone or Android device.
Although the apps are free to download, you will have to confirm that you have a cable TV subscription (Verizon FiOS, Cox, Comcast, Charter, ATT UVerse, Dish Network) to live stream the New Year’s Eve specials.
[Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment]