Televised fireworks have gotten bigger and bigger each year for some reason. But at least this year, there’s a reason – the 250th birthday of the country. So everybody’s got a plan (including a president who’ll try to make it all about himself).
The grandaddy is celebrating its own milestone — the 50th Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks (NBC, 8 p.m.) featuring performances from Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Salt-N-Pepa, Bebe Rexha, Shaboozey and Blake Shelton. It plays for two hours, has a one-hour version at 10, and then comes cack again at 11:30 p.m. with a replay that replaces this wee’s “Saturday Night Live” rerun.
It plays opposite the three-hour “Disney Celebrates America” (ABC, 8 p.m.) from Nashville, which takes an understandably country turn with performances by Clint Black, Little Big Town, the Brothers Osborne but also All-American Rejects, Boyz II Men and Lauren Daigle. Ryan Seacrest hosts the show that also shows on the other Disney-owned networks FX, Freeform, National Geographic.
With a more casual sounding name,The Great American Block Party 250 (CBS, 8 p.m.) is hosted by Tony Dokopul and Nichelle Turner.
News networks will be on the case as well with reports like “The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250” (CNN 8 p.m.) and
And the public television special “America: Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings), presents Michael Feinstein, Kelli O’Hara, Judy Collins, Adrienne Warren and Ryan Speedo Green from Colonial Williamsburg. Fireworks are involved here as well.
Earlier, there is that odd holiday tradition, the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest (ESPN2, noon) from Coney Island.
And news stations will be adding their own spins (and all those speeches), from “America 250: Celebrating Freedom” (Fox News, 8 p.m.) to “The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250” (CNN, 8 p.m.) and “We the People: America 250” (MS NOW, 7 p.m.).
For something different, there’s the out-of-time romance “Christmas Construction” (Hallmark, 8 p.m.), about a couple who also happen to be stars of a renovation reality show
World Cup Round of 16 has Morocco vs. Canada (Fox, 1 p.m.) and France vs. Paraguay (Fox, 9 p.m.) in the knockout rounds.
A girl who went missing for years returns taking a very different form in the 2026 horror film “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” (HBO, 8 p.m.), making its quality cable debut.
It’s probably a good time to take in Larry David’s take on American history, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness” (HBO Comedy, 8 p.m.). But there’s actual history, too, with “George Washington: Father of His Country” (History, 8 p.m.).
“Invisible Agent” (MeTV, 8 p.m.) plays on Svengoolie.
Turner Classic Movies has an Independence Day lineup that includes “Judge Hardy and Son” (6:30 p.m.), “The Howards of Virginia” (8 a.m.), “The Scarlet Coat” (10 a.m.), “1776” (11:45 a.m.), “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (2:45 p.m.) and “The Music Man” (5:15 p.m.), and then very much later, “Stealing Home” (2 a.m.) and “Independence Day” (4 a.m.).
In between, the songwriter Diane Warren picks a pair of movies for TCM primetime: “Born Free” (8 p.m.) and “A Hard Day’s Night” (10 p.m.). The 12 o’clock noir is “Angel Face” (midnight).
Baseball includes Pittsburgh at Washington (MLB, 11:05 p.m.), Toronto at Seattle (MLB, 4 p.m), Mets at Atlanta (Fox, 8 p.m.) and Milwaukee at Arizona (MLB, 9:30 p.m.). And there’s the All-Star Game Selection Show (Fox, 7:30 p.m.).
WNBA action has Golden State at Atlanta (CBS, 1 p.m.).
Auto racing includes the Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio (Fox Sports 1, 1 p.m.) and the Cuervo 300 (CW, 5:30 p.m.).
There is third round play in the John Deere Classic (Golf, 1 p.m.; CBS, 3 p.m.) and the Senior Open (NBC, 2 p.m.).
In tennis, there is third round play in Wimbledon (ESPN, 6 a.m.).
The NBA Summer League includes Memphis at Oklahoma City (ESPNU, 3 p.m.), Milwaukee vs. Golden State (Prime Video, 3 p.m.), Atlanta vs. Utah (ESPNU, 5 p.m.) and Brooklyn vs. Sacramento (Prime Video (5 p.m.).
Pro softball includes Texas at Chicago (CBS Sports, 4:30 p.m.), Portland at Oklahoma City (ESPN2, 7 p.m.) and Carolina at Utah (CBS Sports, 9 p.m.).
Track and field has the final day of the Prefontaine Classic (NBC, 5 p.m.).