Each year, billions of people around the world gather with family, friends, or millions of complete strangers in subzero temperatures for hours on end to watch a ball drop to ring in the new year. But, don’t feel bad if you’re not a party person or simply someone who likes to end the night still being able to feel their toes, as there is a seemingly endless list of countdown specials, streaming programs, and college football bowl games to watch on the final day of the 2022 TV schedule.
Below, we have included a breakdown of what to watch on TV during New Year’s Eve 2022, which includes sections dedicated to all sorts of programming that will please just about anyone and everyone. Before we get started, please note that all times are in Eastern Time, so make sure to make adjustments based on your location.
New Year’s Eve Countdown Specials
For decades, it has been a tradition by many to have a New Year’s Eve countdown special playing in the background (the ball-drop was even featured in one of the most emotional scenes in Forrest Gump), and this year should be no different. Here are all your options for ringing in the new year…
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2023 - 8 P.M. (ABC)
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest is typically the first countdown special that comes to mind, considering the program’s 51-year history and cultural prominence, even before the former American Idol host first started helping out with the annual broadcast. And this year looks to be no different.
Kicking off at 8 p.m. on ABC, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023 will bring the party to Times Square as in years past, but also various other locations across the country, as well as Puerto Rico, which was added to the mix during last year’s broadcast. Joining Seacrest in hosting the special will be Roselyn Sanchez, Billy Porter, Liza Koshy, Jessie James Decker, Ciara, and D-Nice.
New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper And Andy Cohen - 8 p.m. (CNN)
CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen has long been another great option when celebrating the holiday, and this year looks to be no different, even though Variety reported the news network plans to crack down on the amount of alcohol consumed by the hosts.
Starting at 8 p.m. on CNN, the special will see Cooper and Cohen ring in the new year with the likes of Usher, Kevin Hart, Ellie Goulding, Patti LaBelle, Nick Cannon, John Stamos, and many, many more throughout the broadcast. As in previous years, Don Lemon will appear from New Orleans starting at 12:30 a.m.
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash - 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. (CBS/Paramount+)
For the second year in a row, CBS will host New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, a country music experience that will feature nearly 50 performances from various locations, including the main stage in Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, according to Deadline.
The announced performers (so far) are a who’s who of country music with Brooks & Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, and Zac Brown Band, but expect that list to keep growing as the event draws closer. The concert, which can also be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription, is slated to kick off at 8 p.m.
All-American New Year - 10 p.m. (Fox News Channel)
The Fox News Channel will once again be broadcasting its All-American New Year special hosted by Fox & Friends Weekend’s Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Duffy, and Pete Hegseth from the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee.
The program, which kicks off at 10 p.m., will feature country music singer Brantley Gilbert live from Nashville, as well as special guests live on location and from other spots throughout the country, including New York City, Key West, and New Orleans.
Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party - 10:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
NBC will once again be handing its New Year’s Eve countdown special to Miley Cyrus for her second annual Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party. But, instead having former Saturday Night Live mainstay Pete Davidson as her co-host, the Hannah Montana star will be joined by none other than one of the queens of country music – the incomparable Dolly Parton.
The two pop culture icons shared the news in a brief video on their respective Instagram pages in November 2022, hyping up what could be one hell of a party. The show kicks off at 10:30 p.m. on both NBC and Peacock Premium. Prior to the beginning, NBC News will host A Toast to 2022!, a two-hour recap show of the year’s biggest and most notable news stories that will start at 8 p.m.
Streaming Specials
There will also be various streaming specials going live on various platforms throughout New Year’s Eve. Here are the announced titles so far…
Lizzo: Live In Concert (HBO Max)
A little more than a month after the release of her HBO Max documentary, Love, Lizzo, the award-winning rapper, singer, and flutist will release her second streaming special. As the title suggests, Lizzo: Live in Concert will show the Emmy and Grammy-winning sensation perform some of her biggest tracks and pull out all the stops for a unique experience. HBO Max subscribers will have even more excitement come New Year’s Eve, if the concert film’s trailer is any indication.
Best Of Stand Up 2022 (Netflix)
Netflix has long been home to some truly great stand up comedy specials, and that tradition continued throughout 2022, with the likes of former Daily Show host Trevor Noah, the late Norm Macdonald, Chelsea Handler, and Dave Chappelle all having new specials released over the past 12 months. On Saturday, December 31st, Netflix subscribers will be able to watch Best of Stand Up 2022, a clip show of the best and brightest performers.
College Football Bowl Games
Before all the festivities get started later in the evening, some of the biggest college football bowl games of the year will kick off in the afternoon.
TransPerfect Music City Bowl - 12 p.m. (ABC)
The gridiron action will get started at 12 p.m. on ABC on New Year’s Eve when Iowa and Kentucky meet in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, which is being held at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Allstate Sugar Bowl - 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Also at 12 p.m. on New Year’s Eve will be the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which will see No. 5 Alabama and No. 9 Kansas State face-off in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Vrbo Fiesta Bowl - 4 p.m. (ESPN)
The first of two College Football Playoff matchups is slated to get started at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve on ESPN, and will feature No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU going up against one another in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The winner will play in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday, January 9.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - 8 p.m. (ESPN)
The final game of the day, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, will see No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State go at it to see who meets the winner of the Fiesta Bowl a little more than a week later. The primetime game gets started at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Hopefully all of this helps you decide what to watch on New Year’s Eve. If you want to know what is coming out after the clock strikes midnight, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule.
