The march to America’s 250th birthday unofficially kicked off in the sports world at the Super Bowl with a flyover spectacle and jersey patches. But as the Fourth of July approaches, the celebrations have hit a new gear.
Next up, UFC will stage a massive spectacle on the White House lawn this Sunday. The event has been in the works for more than a year, forged through a friendship between UFC boss Dana White and president Donald Trump, as Ilia Topuria will vie with Justin Gaethje in the main event on Paramount+.
Sports is heavily invested in the America 250 campaign. Here’s how the major pro sports and networks are marking the occasion.
League Participation
MLB has been planning the semiquincentennial for seven years, back to when it announced the 2026 All-Star Game would be in Philadelphia. This May, the league debuted its “For the People” marketing campaign, set to a mix of “American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, to showcase how the sport has unified Americans for 150 years.
