Overview
- CNN will air Independence Eve Live with Anderson & Andy tonight, July 3, from 8 p.m. ET to 12:30 a.m. ET, ending with a midnight ball drop in Times Square to mark the start of the semiquincentennial.
- Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will co-host live from Times Square and will introduce celebrity guests, cultural figures and everyday Americans whose stories tie into the celebration.
- The special will stream for authenticated TV subscribers on CNN.com and the CNN mobile app, and cord-cutters can watch through live-TV streaming services that carry CNN, with some providers offering limited free trials.
- The broadcast kicks off CNN’s The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250, a July 4 lineup starting at noon ET that will air the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, fireworks from multiple cities and performances by artists such as Charlie Puth, Josh Groban and Lainey Wilson.
- Early social-media reaction noted the show’s lively, New Year’s Eve-style energy, underscoring CNN’s move to create a single national moment for the 250th while expanding Cooper and Cohen’s hosting partnership beyond its annual New Year’s role.