How to watch the New Year’s Eve ball drop without going to Times Square

It’s time for the big New Year’s Eve celebration that takes place in Times Square, and if you’re one of the brave souls who plans to join the roughly 1 million people that typically make their way to Midtown to watch the ball drop, we hope you’re staying warm (and don’t have to pee). The weather forecast calls for rain, so hopefully you have a poncho.

If you would much rather skip the damp cold and opt to ring in 2019 from the comfort of your own home, there are plenty of ways to do so without missing out on the action that will unfold in Times Square.

Of course, ABC will broadcast the Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest, where you can catch performances beginning at 8 p.m. and leading up to the big moment. Other channels where you can watch the event include NY1, CNN (which will have Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper hosting), Fox, and Univision.

The countdown begins at 11:59 p.m., and a number of prominent journalists and members of the Committee to Protect Journalists will join Mayor Bill de Blasio in pressing the button that kicks off the whole ball drop.

But if you’re wondering how you can skip the commercials and enjoy the live action, look no further: The official website for Times Square will begin streaming at approximately 6 p.m. Check it out below:

The website Earth Cam is already live streaming from Times Square—if you want to see thousands of people freezing their butts off as they wait for the ball to drop, look no further.

• New Year’s Eve 2019 [Times Square Alliance]
• New Year’s 2019 in Times Square [Earth Cam]