ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest broke broadcast records with the debut of its 2013 celebration just two nights ago, as performances from the likes of Psy, Taylor Swift, and others drew in an average of 10.7 million viewers, according to a HitFix report.
Adults 18 to 49 granted the network a 3.1 rating throughout the night, meanwhile audiences beyond that demographic funneled into a 5.5 rating for the event. New Year's Rockin' Eve ratings ramped up throughout the night, with 8.25 million people tuning in between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., 10.46 million from 9:00-10:00 p.m., and 13.26 million at 10 p.m. CBS was a distant second in ratings, raking in only 4.03 million watchers and a 2.25/5 rating opposed to ABC's 5.5/10.
Some of the biggest names in the music industry attended the event, including Psy, Neon Trees, Taylor Swift, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Brandy, One Republic, Carly Rae Jepsen, Karmin, and Fergie. Ryan Seacrest hosted the ball drop for the first year without Dick Clark, who died on April 18, 2012 at age 82 from a heart attack. Clark endured a stroke in 2004, which affected the beloved icon's speech, but he still returned to his New Year's post for the 2005-2006 show. Much of the night was spent paying homage to Clark.