Where to watch New Year’s on Times Square live online and on your phone

What would New Year’s be without the celebration on Times Square, especially the dropping of the ball? It’s been going on for more than 100 years, and millions of people aren’t going to miss it this time around either. And now, there are even more ways to watch without sitting in front of your TV:

  • The official webcast of the New Year’s celebration on Times Square is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). The live stream will be commercial-free, feature tons of celebrities and musical performances and is going to be hosted by Allison Hagendorf.
  • Official iPhone and Android apps make it possible to watch the same stream on your mobile phone, and even become part of the action: Users can snap pictures of their own New Year’s celebrations and then share them on Facebook. The pictures with the most likes will be displayed on a giant screen right below the crystal ball. The app also features a bunch of additional content, as well a feature no one can live without on this particular day: a countdown clock. The Android version can be found on Google Play, the iPhone version on iTunes.
  • Earthcam will once again be streaming the celebrations in New York, as well as around the world, with the help of its network of webcams. Catch the stream online, or check out Earthcam’s iPhone and iPad app.

Still looking for a New Year’s resolution that you can actually keep? Check out my ebook Cut the Cord: All You Need to Know to Drop Cable if you want to make 2013 the year to finally get rid of cable.


GigaOM