CBS’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash experienced a roughly 12-minute technical outage about 50 minutes into the December 31 broadcast, prompting the network to unexpectedly air an episode of Matlock during the interruption. The glitch occurred mid-performance by Lainey Wilson, leading the network to cut away to a commercial break followed by the sudden programming shift, which caused viewers to express their frustration on social media. Once the broadcast resumed, hosts Bert Kreischer and Hardy apologized before Gretchen Wilson took the stage. Despite the glitch, the five-hour special featured performances by major country acts like Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, Dwight Yoakam, and Bailey Zimmerman. The event aired from Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, and featured a live watch party hosted at Luke Combs’ Category 10 in Nashville. CBS has yet to issue an official statement regarding the broadcast’s technical difficulties. (Billboard)
CBS’s ‘New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash’ Briefly Switched To ‘Matlock’ During Broadcast’s Technical Difficulties
Jan 1, 2026 | 7:01 PM