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Fourth of July festivities drew millions of people outside to watch their local fireworks displays, but millions more also took in a show on TV.
NBC had a sizable increase in viewing for its annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks special as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its founding. Fox News also had a strong night on cable — scoring its best-ever ratings for the Independence Day holiday.
Across all platforms (NBC, Telemundo and Peacock) and telecasts, including replays, Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks drew 11.2 million viewers, based on preliminary Nielsen numbers. That’s a 59 percent improvement year to year and the highest total for the special since 2018.
The live airing (8-10 p.m. ET) on NBC drew 5.1 million viewers, up about 42 percent from 3.6 million in 2025 and the highest since 2019. Peacock users more than doubled the amount of time they spent watching the fireworks special vs. last year.
