ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest on ABC, featuring a head-scratching performance by Mariah Carey, was off year-to-year but still towered over the competition as the country ushered in 2017. From 11:30 PM – 1:15 AM, the special drew a 9.0 rating in the metered market households, down -9%, and a 6.8 adults 18-49 rating in the local people meters, down -8%.
Meanwhile, NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (5.1 rating in the metered market households, 3.3 in 18-49 in the markets with local people meters), came in strong after the double-digit declines last year, shooting up +22% in the demo to a seven-year high, and up +19% in households, the best in three years.
Fox’s Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution (2.6 in households, 2.4 in 18-49 from 11 PM-12:30 AM) gave away the ratings gains from last year when it still had a primetime portion. With low-rated drama reruns instead in Fox primetime this year, the special was down -16% in households and -11% in 18-49.
Both ABC and NBC’s New Year’s Eve-themed primetime lineups was down from last year. The 10 – 11 PM portion of ABC’s Rockin’ Eve (11.43 million viewers, 3.5 adults 18-49 rating in the fast nationals) was off by -12% in viewers and -10% in 18-49. The 8 PM-10 PM part (6.52 million, 1.9) was down -20% in viewers and -17% in the demo.
NBC’s A Toast to 2016 special (3.64 million, 0.8) from 8 PM-10 PM was down -20% in the demo and down -24% in viewers. The network tried something new in the 10-11 PM hour with a special edition of Late Night with Seth Meyers (0.8, 3.2 million), which provided extra sampling for the late-night program but was down from last year’s special in the time period, New Year’s Eve Game Night with Andy Cohen (1.0, 3.8 million). Neither special has been able to come close to the primetime portion of New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly, which drew 1.5 demo rating and 5.4 million viewers in its most recent outing three years ago before NBC scrapped it in favor of Game Night.
For the night, ABC (2.4 in 18-49, 8.16 million) once again drew higher averages than the other three broadcast networks combined.
