Since 1999–2000, the ball has featured an outer surface consisting of triangular panels manufactured by Waterford Crystal, which contain inscriptions and designs representing a yearly theme.

[4] For 2018–19, the NYPD announced its intent to use a camera-equipped quadcopter to augment the over 1,200 fixed cameras monitoring Times Square, but it was left grounded due to inclement weather.

[2] Party favours are distributed to attendees, which have historically included large balloons, hats, and other items branded with the event's corporate sponsors.

[9][10] Since 1996, the drop has been ceremonially "activated" on-stage by one or more special guests, accompanied by the current mayor of New York City, by pressing a button on a smaller model of the ball.

[11] The guests are selected annually to recognize their community involvement or significance, and have included: The conclusion of the drop is followed by fireworks shot from the roof of One Times Square, backed by music such as the first verse of "Auld Lang Syne" as performed by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, and "Theme from New York, New York" as performed by Frank Sinatra, among others.

It is thrown by a team of 100 volunteers (referred to internally by Heining as "confetti dispersal engineers") lining the rooftops of eight Times Square buildings.

Some of the pieces are inscribed with messages of hope for the new year, which are collected via a "Wishing Wall" set up in Times Square in December (where visitors can write messages on them directly), and via online submissions..[48][49] Since the 2005–06 edition of the event, the drop has been directly preceded by the playing of John Lennon's song "Imagine" at 11:55 p.m. Until 2009–10, the original recording was used; since 2010–11, the song has been performed live by the headlining artist:[50] After the conclusion of the festivities and the dispersal of attendees, cleanup is performed overnight to remove confetti and other debris from Times Square.

[70] The newspaper's chief electrician, Walter F. Palmer, suggested using a time ball, after seeing one used on the Western Union Telegraph Building, near Trinity Church.

[69] Ochs hired sign designer Artkraft Strauss to construct a ball for the celebration; it was built from iron and wood, illuminated by a hundred incandescent light bulbs, weighed 700 pounds (320 kg), and measured 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter.

Once it hit the roof, the ball completed a circuit that lit 5-foot-tall signs on the sides of the building to signal the new year, accompanied by a fireworks display.

[67] On December 28, 1998, during a press conference attended by New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, organizers announced that the third ball would be retired for the arrival of the new millennium, and replaced by a new design constructed by Waterford Crystal.

The year 2000 celebrations introduced more prominent sponsorship to the event; companies such as Discover Card, Korbel Champagne, and Panasonic were announced as official sponsors of the festivities in Times Square.

[79] The fourth ball, measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter and weighing 1,070 pounds (490 kg), incorporated a total of over 600 halogen bulbs, 504 triangle-shaped crystal panels provided by Waterford, 96 strobe lights, and spinning, pyramid-shaped mirrors.

[31][55][83][84][85] For a period during the 2010s, as part of the sponsorship of One Times Square's top-most billboard by Japanese electronics firm Toshiba, a daytime countdown and ball drop was held as a media event at 10:00 a.m.

Attendance was largely limited to the press, performers, and the invited families of first responders and other essential workers from the New York City area (billed as "The Heroes of 2020").

[89][90] In accordance with New York state health orders, face masks were mandatory, and households were placed within 8 foot (2.4 m) "pens" with social distancing.

[92] The VNYE app was released as a digital companion to the event, featuring augmented reality camera filters and a digital recreation of Times Square as a virtual world where users could play minigames, view live streams of New Year's festivities in New York City and elsewhere, and witness a virtual version of the ball drop.

[95] If covered by a specific exemption, attendees were alternatively allowed to present proof of a recent negative PCR test from within the past 72 hours.

[9] The Fox network also canceled its planned New Year's Eve special from Times Square, citing concerns relating to Omicron variant.

[101] Ahead of the 2023–24 event, construction was suspended in December 2023 to allow for preparations to begin (including the temporary removal of a crane), and staff wore personal protective equipment while on the roof [102][103] Fontainebleau Resorts served as a sponsor, promoting the 70th anniversary of its namesake hotel in Miami Beach, and its newly-opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort; the lighting patterns on the ball featured bow tie motifs, alluding to the use of bow ties as a logo and visual motif at the two resorts, and the bow tie shape of Times Square itself.

[104][105] For 2025, organizers collaborated with Behaviour Interactive on "Times Square Island", a Fortnite Creative world featuring minigames and a live stream of the ball drop.

[122][123] On cable, CNN carries coverage of the festivities, known as New Year's Eve Live, currently hosted by Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen (the latter first replacing Kathy Griffin for 2018).

[120] From 1956 to 1976, CBS televised Guy Lombardo's annual New Year's Eve concert with his big band The Royal Canadians, most frequently from the Waldorf-Astoria's ballroom.

Hosted by then-chief correspondent Peter Jennings, the broadcast featured coverage of New Year's festivities from around the world as part of an international consortium.

[138] The BBC's 2000 Today broadcast featured comedian Barry Humphries as a Times Square correspondent, as his character Dame Edna Everage.

[139] MTV had broadcast coverage originating from the network's Times Square studios at One Astor Plaza, which was initially hosted by Carson Daly until his departure to NBC.

[141] On October 2, 2017, the ball was "raised" by DJ Khaled, alongside its hosts, D.C. Young Fly and Tamara Dhia, for the reboot of Total Request Live.

For 2019, prominent video game streamer Ninja hosted a 12-hour New Year's Eve stream on Twitch from Times Square, featuring matches of Fortnite Battle Royale with himself and special guests from a studio in the Paramount Building.