One of the biggest days of the year is approaching, and we will soon bid a not-necessarily-so-fond farewell to 2016. December 31 is a night where many like to hit the streets for communal celebrations with others, but it's also a night where many others like to avoid such crowds by staying indoors and participating in New Year's Eve festivities via the small screen. That's where we come in, and you'll be able to make the most of your final hours of the year by using our guide to find where New Year's Eve ball drops and specials will be streaming. Alcohol and fireworks sold separately.
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
Probably the broadcast you think of first when thinking about year-ending celebrations, the annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve will once again be hosted by Ryan Seacrest, with Jenny McCarthy hanging out in Times Square and Fergie handling coverage at the Billboard Hollywood Party in L.A. With performances from Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan and many more, the traditional New Year's Rockin' Eve will begin on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Changing things up this year, however, is the long-time-coming decision to give audiences in different time zones different celebrations to watch. This marks the first year that New Orleans will get featured in the chaos, as coverage and performances will also come from the Allstate Fan Fest in the Big Easy. According to an ABC rep, the times may vary in some local markets; as well, it's unclear if there will be an exclusive stream for New Orleans, or if it will be enveloped into the main program.
How To Stream: ABC.go.com will have a live stream of the main special, as will ABC's mobile app.
Seth Meyers' New Year's Eve Special
Before NBC"s traditional countdown that actually crosses the midnight barrier, Late Night host Seth Meyers will get his own standalone special to go head to head with the primetime part of ABC's coverage. Starting at 10:00 p.m. ET, Meyers' show will bring in huge guests like Jennifer Lawrence, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Leslie Jones and Kelly Clarkson, who will provide a musical performance.
Where To Stream: NBC.com/live will do you right.
New Year's Eve With Carson Daly
For the 14th year running, NBC will bring New Year's Eve With Carson Daly to audiences on Saturday night, with Mel B as Carson Daly's co-host. There will be performances from Alicia Keys, Pentatronix and Blake Shelton (who works with Daly on The Voice). Nowhere near as long as ABC's yearly offering, NBC's New Year's Eve special will run from 11:30 p.m.-12:30 p.m. ET.
How To Stream: NBC.com/Live will be the best place to go, though you can also watch through NBC's mobile app.
Pitbull's New Year's Revolution
For the fourth year running, Fox's year-ending party will be held by Mr. Worldwide himself, as Pitbull's New Year's Revolution will tear up the evening in Miami at 12:00 a.m. ET on January 1. Performances will be from hip-hop icons like Biz Markee, Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Tone Loc and Young MC. The hosts will be fellow music legends Snoop Dogg and Queen Latifah.
Where To Stream: Fox's mobile app.
CNN's New Year's Eve Live Specials
For years now, one of the best places on cable to celebrate the yearly transition has been on CNN, with the New Year's Eve Live special hosted by network familiar Anderson Cooper and comedienne Kathy Griffin. The unlikely perfect pair will kick things off in New York City at 8:00 p.m. ET on CNN (and CNN International), and when their special is over at 12:30 a.m. ET, viewers will get another half-hour New Year's Eve Live special, with this one hosted by Don Lemon and Brooke Baldwin, live in New Orleans.
Where To Stream: Go.CNN.com will be your best destination.
¡Feliz 2017!
Univision will blow the competition with a whopping 12-hour special that kicks off on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET and doesn't officially end until 3:00 a.m. ET. It'll showcase performances from Paty Cantú, Régulo Caro, Villa 5 and many more, with appearances from Univision regulars, and the coverage will feature celebrations from all over the U.S. and Mexico.
Where To Stream: Univision's live streaming app, Univision Now.
Netflix's New Year's Countdowns
For the past couple of years, streaming giant Netflix has made life a little easier on parents whose kids are dead-set against going to sleep before the new year has officially come; a selection of pre-recorded countdown videos are there to fool children into thinking midnight has come and gone. This year's line-up is pretty big, and it includes three live-action countdowns from the shows Fuller House, Project Mc², and Chasing Cameron, as well as another seven animated countdowns from recent release Trollhunters, Word Party and more.
Where To Stream: This is kind of a no-brainer, considering it's Netflix.
Other New Year's Specials You Might Like
Just because the big networks have all the specials that people are most familiar with, that is no way indicative that they're providing the only New Year's coverage out there. Here's a quick rundown of other places you can celebrate.
Fox News' All American New Year: Starting at 11:00 p.m. ET on Fox News, this special will see Kimberly Guilfoyle and Eric Bolling handling coverage in Times Square, while other correspondents will pop in from other cities across the country. Head to FoxNews.com for streaming coverage.
Austin City Limits Hall of Fame New Year's Eve: Taped earlier this year, the ACL Hall of Fame induction is hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally and features performances from Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell and more. The special airs on PBS at 11:00 p.m. ET, though streaming capabilities on PBS' website aren't confirmed at this point.
Telemundo's Bienvenido 2017: After years of skipping New Year's festivities, Telemundo is back with Bienvenido 2017, which will be Spanish simulcast with NBC's coverage. Hosted by Patricia Manterola and Daniel Sarcos, this special will see exclusive appearances from Jennifer Lopez, Regular Caro, Gente de Zona and more. The special will likely be available to stream on Telemundo's website.
Free Code Camp's #Open2017: A 4-hour interactive livestream with a different group of web developers stopping by to talk shop for each timezone's ball drop. Head to the Free Code Camp Youtube page for streaming.
There are presumably more TV and online celebrations out there catering to more specific audiences, but there should be more than enough here to keep you and your family busy until next year's celebrations. And don't forget to head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what you'll be watching when 2017 does get here.
