ABC leads the way per usual but is down by double digits from a year ago.
The New Year's Eve countdown shows on ABC, Fox and NBC all suffered year-to-year declines Monday night. As usual, ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve led the way.
The primetime portion of ABC's telecast averaged a 2.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 7.92 million viewers from 8 to 10 p.m. and a 3.5 and 11.47 million from 10 to 11 p.m. For all of primetime, the network is down 30 percent versus New Year's Eve in 2017 (2.6 versus 3.7) and 25 percent in viewers (9.1 million versus 11.21 million).
The 2017 Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve hit a multiyear high, as bitterly cold weather in much of the country kept more people inside and watching TV. Monday's broadcast came in a little ahead of 2016's (2.5, 8.26 million).
NBC averaged 1.1 among adults 18-49 primetime with A Toast to 2018! and NBC's New Year's Eve; Fox's New Year's Eve With Steve Harvey delivered a 0.9 in primetime. CBS (0.4) and The CW (0.2) aired reruns.
ABC's dominance extended into late night, where all three networks were also down. New Year's Rockin' Evedrew an 8.3 household rating in metered markets and a 6.5 in adults 18-49 for ABC, off 26 and 22 percent, respectively, versus 2017 numbers. NBC (4.8 households, 2.7 in 18-49) slipped 8 percent versus its last New Year's Eve special in 2016, and Fox (3.8 households, 3.0 in 18-49) came down 22 percent in households and 14 percent in the demo.
Dick Clark Productions, which produces New Year’s Rockin Eve, is a division of Valence Media, which owns The Hollywood Reporter.