Disney Entertainment Television Unveils 24-Hour "Disney Celebrates America" Broadcast for America's 250th Anniversary

David Muir, Ryan Seacrest, MrBeast, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brandi Carlile, Nick Jonas and more headline Disney's unprecedented cross-platform Fourth of July celebration.

For one day only, Disney Entertainment Television is bringing together nearly every corner of The Walt Disney Company for a celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Spanning 24 hours across television, streaming, sports, news, and entertainment, Disney Celebrates America promises to showcase the people, places, history, and stories that have shaped the nation through a massive multiplatform event.

What’s Happening:

  • Beginning on the evening of July 3 and continuing through July 4, the ambitious programming event will air across ABC, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, National Geographic, FX, Freeform, and ABC News Live, featuring live celebrations from all 50 states, major musical performances, historical storytelling, fireworks spectaculars, and appearances from celebrities, athletes, musicians, and journalists.
  • Leading the extensive coverage is World News Tonight anchor David Muir, who will guide viewers through America's landscapes, cultural heritage, defining historical moments, and Fourth of July festivities from coast to coast.
  • "This continues Disney's legacy of storytelling in a way only our company can deliver," said Debra O'Connell, Chairman of Disney Entertainment Television. "We're proud to bring audiences together to celebrate America's stories."
  • The celebration begins on Friday, July 3, with America the Beautiful, a special primetime presentation anchored by Muir. One of the evening's most unique moments will feature rare access inside the Statue of Liberty, including the iconic crown and torch, alongside the debut of Liberty Lights, an artistic illumination that transforms Lady Liberty through projection technology in honor of America's semiquincentennial.
  • The opening hour will also include an emotional performance of "America the Beautiful" by 11-time GRAMMY Award winner Brandi Carlile accompanied by SistaStrings, along with a special message from Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro.
  • Throughout the overnight hours and into Independence Day, coverage shifts across the country with live reports highlighting regional celebrations, iconic landmarks, and uniquely American traditions. Viewers can expect visits to New Orleans' Bourbon Street, the San Antonio River Walk, a Disney Cruise Line voyage through Alaska, Las Vegas celebrations, and fireworks from Los Angeles.
  • The broadcast also includes performances from Broadway's Ragtime, Walt Disney World fireworks, Mount Rushmore celebrations, and Gatlinburg's historic Midnight Parade, the nation's first Independence Day parade.
  • Saturday morning features a special edition of Good Morning America, where Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan each explore their own family's American journey while reporting on members of the military and public service. Roberts will also present an exclusive report uncovering newly identified descendants of an enslaved individual who helped build the White House through groundbreaking genealogical research.
  • Other stories throughout the day include the history of the American flag and national anthem, children reading the Declaration of Independence, coverage from Ellis Island, Pearl Harbor, the Liberty Bell, Yellowstone National Park, Acadia National Park, Yosemite, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, and numerous other historic locations.
  • The celebration also embraces America's love of sports! ESPN will once again air the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, while a special two-hour edition of SportsCenter hosted by Kevin Negandhi and Christine Williamson will explore iconic sports moments and the role athletics have played in shaping American culture.
  • Sports fans can also look forward to appearances from ESPN personalities, including Joe Buck, Jesse Palmer, and NFL star Myles Garrett, who joins National Geographic Explorer Tyler Lyson on a dinosaur fossil excavation in North Dakota.
  • One of the day's largest segments, 7 Wonders of America, pairs ABC News anchors with National Geographic Explorers to showcase some of the country's most breathtaking natural landscapes. Viewers will journey through the Grand Canyon, Everglades, Yellowstone, Niagara Falls, the Appalachian Mountains, Hawaii's volcanoes, and California's towering redwoods while learning about the people and wildlife that make each destination unique.
  • As evening approaches, David Muir returns to anchor continuing live coverage before Ryan Seacrest takes center stage for Countdown to Nashville's Star-Spangled Bash, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes preview of the night's festivities, including interviews with Boyz II Men, Clint Black, and an exclusive visit to YouTube superstar MrBeast's headquarters.
  • The celebration culminates with Nashville's Star-Spangled Bash, airing live from downtown Nashville from 8:00-11:00 p.m. ET.
  • Hosted by Seacrest, the concert features an all-star lineup that includes Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Nick Jonas, Boyz II Men, Lauren Daigle, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, NE-YO, The All-American Rejects, Sublime, Clint Black, Emily Ann Roberts, Elizabeth Nichols, and John Crist.
  • Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to attend in person as Nashville presents one of the nation's largest synchronized fireworks and drone shows, accompanied live by the GRAMMY Award-winning Nashville Symphony. Disney will also incorporate patriotic fireworks from Disneyland Resort into the national broadcast.
  • Beyond the televised programming, Disney Celebrates America extends across nearly every Disney media platform. ABC News Radio will produce holiday programming throughout the weekend, ESPN.com will publish a five-part "America 250 Road Trips" storytelling series, ABC News Digital will provide live blogs and video coverage, and the Start Here podcast will feature special reports aboard Union Pacific's historic Big Boy steam locomotive and Revolutionary War archaeological discoveries.
  • With coverage stretching from sunrise over Acadia National Park to fireworks above Nashville and Disneyland Resort, Disney Celebrates America aims to deliver one of the largest coordinated broadcasts in company history, celebrating the nation's past, present, and future through storytelling, music, sports, history, and community.

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