'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' draws most viewers since 2000

The Associated Press, Tuesday, January 1, 2013, 2:30pm (PST)

ABC took another New Year's Eve ratings crown on Monday night, besting all networks in adults 18-49 (3.1 rating) and total viewers (10.7 million). After the two-hour special honoring the show's founder, "New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark" (2.6 adults), the first hour of the official show, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest," started its road to midnight with a 4.1 adults rating. Even with its 2011 showing in the demo, the show surged in total viewers from last year with its largest haul since 2000 (13.3 million viewers).

Bing: Is PSY done with 'Gangnam Style'?

The "Rockin' Eve" show was the first since Clark's passing from a heart attack in April.

ABC easily topped the evening, more than doubling its nearest competition, CBS, in total viewers, and beating its combined network competition by 15% in adults 18-49 (CBS, NBC and Fox combined).

Elsewhere, "New Year's Eve With Carson Daly" was up two tenths of a point in the key demo, rising from last year to a 1.1 adults rating on NBC. Including its broadcast of "Enchanted," the network averaged a 0.9 with 18-49-ers and 3.3 million viewers.

Encores on CBS averaged a 0.8 adults rating and 4 million viewers, while two episodes of "The Mob Doctor" brought in a 0.6 and 0.4 adults rating at 8 and 9 p.m. The two broadcasts averaged a 0.5 adults rating and 2.95 million viewers.

The CW's repeat airing of the "iHeartRadio Music Festival" earned a 0.5 rating with adults 18-49 and 1.3 million viewers.