NBC and Fox News both enjoyed a surge in television viewership over the Fourth of July as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its founding. NBC's annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks special posted a sizeable year-on-year rise, while Fox News recorded its best-ever ratings for the Independence Day holiday, underlining how the milestone anniversary drew large audiences to the small screen.

Across NBC, Telemundo and Peacock, including replays, the fireworks special attracted 11.2 million viewers on preliminary Nielsen figures — a 59 per cent improvement on the previous year and its highest total since 2018. The live NBC airing from 8-10 p.m. ET drew 5.1 million, up around 42 per cent on 2025. On cable, Fox News took 3.3 million viewers in primetime and 2.2 million across the full day, peaking at 5.5 million for President Trump's late-evening speech; by comparison CNN averaged 1.2 million in primetime and MS NOW 317,000. Final ratings, including other networks' specials, are due later in the week.