Heavy/Getty Ryan Seacrest
In his third major TV deal of 2023, “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest is at the center of an agreement between ABC and Dick Clark Productions to continue teaming up for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” through January 1, 2029, per Variety.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ryan Seacrest Has Been Part of New Year’s Eve Broadcast Since 2005
GettyRyan Seacrest interacts with the New Year’s Eve crowd in Times Square on December 31, 2023.
The extended deal means ABC has committed to ringing in the New Year live with Seacrest at the helm of the program, which typically features celebrity appearances and musical performances, for the next seven New Year’s Eves.
The show first aired on December 31, 1972, according to Variety, but Clark turned over full-time hosting duties to Seacrest in 2005 due to health issues. Clark continued to appear on the show each year until his death in 2012.
After more than 50 years, the show is still must-watch TV for millions of Americans on New Year’s Eve. The 2022 broadcast attracted nearly 14 million viewers, according to Billboard, and has been the top-rated New Year’s Eve programming special for more than 30 years.
“I’m so grateful that I stepped into this role because it was a tradition for me growing up and my family,” Seacrest told Entertainment Weekly in 2022. “We would order pizza and watch the show.”
“I think the idea for us is just to create a big party for people who don’t want to go anywhere, who want to just relax, be in their homes, be with their families, order pizza, order buffalo wings, whatever it is,” Seacrest continued. “We can bring the excitement, the energy and the new year to them. That’s what Dick told me all along. He goes, ‘We’re talking to people who are at home, but we bring the excitement to them through our show.'”
This year’s show will kick off on December 31 at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.
Ryan Seacrest Will Also Host ‘American Idol’ & ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in 2024
ABCRyan Seacrest and Oliver Steele on Season 21 of “American Idol”
The continuation of his New Year’s Eve hosting gig on ABC is just the latest TV deal for Seacrest this year. In June, he signed a deal to become the new host of “Wheel of Fortune” after Pat Sajak retires in 2024.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
The news came weeks after he departed his daily co-hosting duties on New York-based “Live With Kelly and Ryan” to move back to Los Angeles full-time.
In July, Seacrest also signed on for another year of hosting “American Idol,” according to Today, alongside judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. He’s hosted the talent show every season since it started in 2002.