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If you’re trying to decide whether to brave the cold or cozy up on the couch this New Year’s Eve, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve is back with a lineup that might convince you to stay in. This year’s show features Carrie Underwood, TLC, and a star-studded cast of performers ready to help you ring in 2025. But first, you’ll need to know how to tune in. For everything to know about how to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve live for free, just keep on reading ahead.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve started back in 1972 when Dick Clark wanted to create something fresh for younger viewers, offering an alternative to Guy Lombardo’s longstanding New Year’s show on CBS. The first special hit the airwaves on December 31, 1972, on NBC, with Clark hosting live from Times Square. The show has since become one of America’s go-to New Year’s celebrations, hitting its biggest audience ever in 2012 with 22.6 million viewers. Clark hosted from 1973 to 1999, and again from 2001 to 2004. After Clark suffered a stroke in December 2004, Regis Philbin stepped in to host that year’s show. Ryan Seacrest took over the following year, with Clark making special appearances until his passing in 2012.
Over the years, the show has become known for bringing together an incredible mix of performers—from rock legends to pop stars, and country artists to hip-hop icons. While Times Square remains the heart of the celebration, the show now spans across the country, featuring live and pre-recorded performances from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, and beyond.
This year’s lineup is pretty exciting, with Carrie Underwood headlining in Times Square, TLC bringing their legendary hits to the main stage, and artists like Alanis Morissette and Blake Shelton performing from coast to coast. Without any further ado, here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve live for free this year.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. As always, the iconic Times Square Ball Drop happens right at midnight on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Can’t catch it live? No worries—you can stream the whole show the next day on Hulu.
Image: Courtesy of Disney/Maarten de Boer.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve airs on ABC, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, and starts at $86.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months). Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends. While Hulu+ With Live TV doesn’t have a free trial, it is cheaper per month than the other options, starting at $81.99 per month and offers plans that include free subscriptions to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch ABC live for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. Direct TV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $86.99 per month; Choice, which costs $114.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $129.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $169.99 per month. ABC is available with all four plans.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com‘s packages page
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ABC and start watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month, Elite, which costs $89.99 per month, and Latino, which costs $32.99 per month. ABC is included in the Pro and Elite plans.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ABC and start watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $81.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $87.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $95.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. ABC is included in all four plans. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ABC and start watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
Image: John Lamparski/Getty Images.
Ryan Seacrest is back to lead the festivities from Times Square, with British singer Rita Ora joining him as co-host. Here’s where you’ll find all of this year’s hosts:
New York
Puerto Rico
Get ready for performances across multiple cities. Read on ahead for a full list of who’s playing where:
Times Square, New York
- Carrie Underwood (Headliner)
- TLC
- Megan Moroney
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor
West Coast Party
- Alanis Morissette
- Reneé Rapp
- Dasha
- DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! Featuring:
- Ja Rule
- Fat Joe
- Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh
- Ernest
- HARDY
- Kesha
- Laufey
- Natasha Bedingfield
- T-Pain
Las Vegas
Puerto Rico
Additional Performers
- Lenny Kravitz
- Teddy Swims
- Tinashe
- Cody Johnson
- Thomas Rhett
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve airs on Sunday, December 31, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Here’s how to watch it for free.
