New Year’s Eve countdown 2024: What time does the ball drop on New Year’s Eve in Times Square?

People worldwide gather each year to gaze at the Waterford crystal ball in Times Square, New York City, as it descends to mark the New Year.

On Dec. 31, at 11:59 p.m. EST, the ball begins its descent as millions count down the final seconds to the new year, according to the official Times Square website.

If you can’t watch in person or don’t have cable, you can stream it live for free. Most streaming services, including Peacock and FuboTV, will air the event.

Here is what else you need to know about the ball that drops in Times Square every year, according to Times Square NYC:

• The New Year’s Eve ball in New York City’s Times Square has dropped every year since 1907, with the exception of 1942 and 1943 due to the “dimout” of lights customary during wartime.
• Crowds still gathered in New York City’s Times Square those two years and rung in the New Year with a minute of silence followed by the sound of chimes coming from trucks.
• The notion of a “ball drop” goes back in history before New Year’s Eve. The first “ball drop” was used to mark the passage of time at England’s Royal Observatory in Greenwich in 1833.
• The ball is covered in 2,688 Ever crystal triangles and is lit up by 32,256 LEDs. “Each LED module contains 48 LEDs — 12 red, 12 blue, 12 green, and 12 white for a total of 8,064 of each color,” according to Times Square NYC.
• The ball is now a year-round attraction that sparkles above Times Square from January to December.
• The New Year Numerals “2-0-2-5″ each stand 7 feet high in front of the crystal ball, use 620 9-watt energy efficient LED bulbs and together weigh about 1,200 pounds.

For more history on the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, check out this video:

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.