Watch Live: Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop 2022

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A few thousand brave souls will ring in 2023 by watching the ball drop in the middle of Times Square — but many more will celebrate New Year's Eve from the comfort of their couches.

Here's everything to know about watching the ball drop — including a free livestream, TV broadcasts, and, yes, in-person spectating.

Livestream

The free livestream above is courtesy of the Times Square Alliance, which broadcasts an ad-free version of the ball drop each year. (If the link above doesn't display, you can find the stream online at livestream.com/2023.)

It will begin streaming at 5:55 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31.

People watching on cell phones can access the same livestream at timessquarenyc.org, NewYearsEve.nyc, or TimesSquareBall.net. It will also be broadcast on social media, at Facebook.com/TimesSquareNYC and Twitter.com/TimesSquareNYC.

TV countdown specials

All major cable networks will air their typical New Year's Eve coverage.

That includes "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" on ABC, which will kick off at 8 p.m. Eastern from Times Square.

CNN's popular telecast with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will likewise start at 8 p.m. — though reportedly in a less boozy form than in previous years.

Other broadcasts include "New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash" on CBS (starts 8 p.m.); "All-American New Year" on Fox News (10 p.m.); and "Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party" featuring special guest Dolly Parton on NBC (10:30 p.m.).

Watching in-person at Times Square

Those who wish to brave the forecasted rainy weather can venture into the belly of the beast: Times Square on New Year's Eve, which will be fully reopened to the public after an empty 2020 ball drop and a crowd-controlled version last year.

But if you're reading this Saturday evening, it's likely too late: organizers recommend arriving sometime Saturday afternoon, since space in the designated viewing areas is first-come, first-served.

The celebration itself begins around 6 p.m., when the ball will be raised to the top of its pole above One Times Square (on the corner of Broadway and 43rd Street).

Visitors who want to watch in-person should enter from Sixth or Eighth avenues.

Pedestrian access points for the viewing areas are as follows:
South of 41st Street:

• 38th Street: Sixth and Eighth Avenues

North of 43rd Street:

• 49th Street from Sixth and Eighth Aves.
• 52nd Street from Sixth and Eighth Aves.
• 56th Street from Sixth and Eighth Aves.

But be warned: there will be no food or beverage vendors, and no public restrooms available. If you leave a viewing area to eat or use the bathroom, you can't return to your spot, the Times Square Alliance says.