Maybe it was Mariah Carey’s comeback or maybe it was the frigid weather that kept most people inside, but viewership of ABC’s “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” soared over last year’s telecast. ABC averaged 10.5 million viewers and a 3.0 rating/12 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. This is a spike of more than 50 percent in both measures over the 2017 telecast for the 8-10 p.m. portion of the annual New Year’s Eve special. Meanwhile, viewership swelled to 15.7 million viewers and a stunning 5.2/20 in the key demo for the 10-11 p.m. portion. This is up 35 percent and 39 percent, respectively, from last year. They are also the highest scores in that hour since the Ryan Seacrest edition of the “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” special bowed in 2000. Though the numbers for Carey’s specific hour (11 p.m. – midnight) are not yet available, it is clear that people tuned in to watch her as she attempted to redeem herself from her 2016 New Year’s Eve performance when she made a hasty exit from the stage. Fox also saw a big bounce in viewership by putting Steve Harvey in Times Square for a live special. “Fox’s New Year’s Eve With Steve Harvey” attracted nearly five times the crowd. Nearly six million people tuned in from 8-10 p.m. compared to 1.4 million.
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