--- title: How to Watch the Times Square Ball Drop Online for Free on New Year's Eve description: With only hours left of 2018, here's how to ring in the new year and watch the Times Square Ball drop online for free authors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 453 covers: - Lifestyle - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum published: '2019-01-01T00:00:08.000Z' modified: '2024-04-17T11:17:19.000Z' section: Lifestyle tags: - Holidays word_count: 371 canonical: https://money.com/how-to-watch-the-times-square-ball-drop-online-for-free-on-new-years-eve/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Fireworks explode in Times Square on New Year's Eve on January 1, 2018 in New York City.](https://img.money.com/2018/12/181221-ball-drop-new-years-eve-watch.jpg) *Fireworks explode in Times Square on New Year's Eve on January 1, 2018 in New York City.* The strange, long year that was 2018 is finally coming to a close, and there's no better way to say goodbye than by watching the Times Square Ball Drop. The New Year's Eve Ball Drop is a tradition dating back more than a century. Every Dec. 31, roughly 1 million people brave freezing temperatures to see the six-ton Big Ball be lowered at midnight in New York City. But not everyone travels — the rest of the world simply views it on TV. [About 1 billion](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-years-eve-revelers-flock-to-see-times-square-ball-drop-mariah-carey/) people total will watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve 2019. And here's the best part: Several free live streams mean you can join them without even changing out of your pajamas. ## What TV Channels Show the Times Square Ball Drop? Want to watch the Times Square Ball Drop on TV? Check out Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, which offers over five hours of music and commentary as the clock counts down. This year's Rockin' Eve in NYC will [include performances](https://abc.go.com/shows/new-years-rockin-eve) from Christina Aguilera, Bastille, New Kids on the Block and Dan + Shay. On the west coast, the show will feature Ciara, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes and Weezer, among other musicians. The shenanigans kick off at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Find your [local ABC station here](https://abc.go.com/local-stations) or log in with your [TV provider here](https://abc.go.com/watch-live) to tune in. ## How to Live Stream the New Year's Eve Ball Drop for Free Did you [ditch cable](https://money.com/cable-tv-without-paying-bill/)? Don't fret. The Times Square website has two free Ball Cams that are already streaming [up-close](http://timessquareball.net/ball-cam1/) and [far-away](http://timessquareball.net/ball-cam2/) views of the 12-foot sphere. A special [NYE Webcast](http://timessquareball.net/nye-webcast/) will go live at 5 p.m. EST on Monday. Watch it free on your laptop or mobile device of choice via [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/timessquarenyc/), [Twitter](https://www.Twitter.com/TimesSquareNYC), [TimesSquareNYC.org](http://timessquarenyc.org), [NewYearsEve.nyc](http://NewYearsEve.nyc) or [TimesSquareBall.net](http://TimesSquareBall.net). You can also load up the 2019 New Year's Eve Ball Drop live stream below. If that's not your style, spend the evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, who will co-host CNN's live New Year's Show at 8 p.m. EST. In a [news release](http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2018/12/04/anderson-cooper-and-any-cohen-return-to-co-host-cnns-new-years-eve-celebration/), CNN said viewers can watch a free live stream on [CNN.com](https://www.cnn.com/) — and you don't need to have cable. 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