2013 calendar down to 19 as F1 loses New York
The reports said problems with the organization of the event, scheduled to take place amid the Manhattan skyline mid next year, meant a delay until 2014 was now inevitable.
F1's chief executive confirmed the news to several media outlets on Friday.
"The event is not going to happen" next year, 81-year-old Ecclestone is quoted by AAP.
"Everything is set up, but it's now too late to finish on time."
The Briton told the Press Association: "The reason is because they didn't quite know what they were doing.
"They got all the permissions together. Everything was done, that was all fine, but then they missed the boat a little on some financing that was coming in."
He told Reuters: "They've run out of time.
"They've had a wake-up call but the wake-up call came too late."
Ecclestone told Eurosport the New Jersey organizers therefore do not currently have a contract.
"If they came up with the contract with us and we were satisfied the question is, could they carry out the work in six months? Winter in New York is not good," said the Briton.
"There's not a lot going on," he added. "They are still running around trying to get their finances sorted out."
Bloomberg quoted Ecclestone as saying the organizers "misjudged" the task of organizing a formula one race.
"They didn't really realize how difficult it is to arrange these things, commercially and with everything else," he said from London.
Ecclestone also denied suggestions Turkey could replace New York on the 20-race 2013 calendar.
"No, no, no. It will be 19 races," he said.