Every New Year's Eve revelers throng Times Square in New York City to watch the iconic ball drop and usher in the new year. But this year, owing to the infamous Covid-19 pandemic, New Year celebrations at Times Square have been changed.
The annual event is watched by millions as tourists and party-goers gather at the venue to bid goodbye to the year gone by and welcome the New Year. The ball drop event also generates millions in millions and supports over 400,000 jobs.
Will New Year's Even Ball Drop Happen This Year?
It would be the first time since 1907 that New Year Eve's ball will drop to no live spectators at Times Square. The popular drop and live performances leading to it will be livestreamed amid the raging pandemic.
"One thing that will never change is the ticking of time and the arrival of a New Year at midnight on December 31st," Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, which co-produces the event said. "But this year there will be significantly new and enhanced virtual, visual and digital offerings ... And because any opportunity to be live in Times Square will be pre-determined and extremely limited due to Covid-19."
Where To Watch The Iconic Event?
Major news networks like NBC, Fox, ABC cover New Year's Eve's ball drop every year. So, this is year too, it can be assumed that these networks will air the event live.
Apart from the networks, the ball drop's official site Times Square Ball will be broadcast the event that will involve live performances. You can watch the ball drop on Times Square's website and on its Facebook page and Twitter account.
The event will kickstart from 6 PM EDT and can be accessed from a computer or from mobile devices like a tablet or smartphone. The six-and-a-half-hour will also be broadcast without any ads.
