Press release - Specials

July 13, 2026

PRESENTERS, ATTENDEES AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCES ANNOUNCED FOR ‘THE 2026 ESPYS PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE,’ AIRING WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, AT 8 P.M. ET ON ABC AND STREAMING ON THE ESPN APP

Simone Biles, Jalen Brunson, Ciara, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Will Ferrell, Megan Grant, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Hannah Hidalgo, DJ Khaled, Suni Lee, Lisa Leslie, Alysa Liu, Mikaela Shiffrin, Jayson Tatum, Mike Tyson and More Among This Year’s Presenters and Attendees

MEDIA KIT

This Wednesday, an elite lineup of athletes and the brightest Hollywood stars will join ESPN for “The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One” to commemorate the past year in sports. Hosted by Marcello Hernández, “The 2026 ESPYS” will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC. The show will also stream on the ESPN App in pattern with ABC airings across time zones and be available to stream the next day on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App and ABC Video on Demand.

The star-studded ceremony will celebrate major sports achievements, revisit unforgettable moments, and bring together the sports industry’s fan favorites and biggest stars. The night will also feature special musical performances from hip-hop royalty De La Soul, critically acclaimed rapper Ghostface Killah, the legendary Slick Rick, and global baseball phenomenon the Savannah Bananas.

Stars and athletes scheduled to present this year include: Rauw Alejandro (singer), Allyson Felix (Olympic gold medalist, track & field), Mason Gooding (cast of “72 Hours”), Eileen Gu (Olympic gold medalist, freestyle skiing), Tiffany Haddish (actress and comedian), Kevin Hart (cast of “72 Hours”), DJ Khaled (GRAMMY®-winning musician), Chloe Kim (Olympic gold medalist, snowboarding), Billie Jean King (tennis legend), Pat McAfee (host of “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN analyst), Ilona Maher (Olympic rugby player), Ben Marshall (cast of “72 Hours”), Tracy Morgan (actor and comedian), Kevin Negandhi (ESPN personality), Kam Patterson (cast of “72 Hours”), Jake Paul (boxer and creator), Oz Pearlman (mentalist), Robin Roberts (“Good Morning America” co-anchor), Jayson Tatum (NBA champion, Boston Celtics), Mike Tyson (boxing legend and actor), and Lindsey Vonn (Olympic gold medalist, alpine skiing), along with a special appearance by actor and comedian Will Ferrell.

In addition, top athletes and celebrities scheduled to attend include Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Lauren Betts (Washington Mystics, UCLA women’s basketball), Simone Biles (Olympic gold medalist, gymnast), Jalen Brunson (NBA champion, New York Knicks), Ciara (singer and songwriter), Ayesha Curry (co-founder of Eat. Learn. Play), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Terence Crawford (boxer), Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets), Crystal Dunn (USWNT legend), Charlotte Flair (WWE superstar), Myles Garrett (Los Angeles Rams), Damar Hamlin (Buffalo Bills), Dwight Howard (Basketball Hall of Famer), Jack Hughes (Olympic gold medalist, New Jersey Devils, U.S. men’s hockey team), Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR legend), Hilary Knight (Olympic gold medalist, PWHL Detroit, U.S. women’s hockey team), Alysa Liu (Olympic gold medalist, figure skater), Oksana Masters (Paralympic gold medalist), Fernando Mendoza (Indiana football, Las Vegas Raiders), Shedeur Sanders (Cleveland Browns), Mikaela Shiffrin (Olympic gold medalist, alpine skiing), Matthew Tkachuk (Olympic gold medalist, Florida Panthers, U.S. men’s hockey team), Karl-Anthony Towns (NBA champion, New York Knicks), Russell Wilson (former NFL player), members of the Savannah Bananas and more.

As previously announced by ESPN, trailblazing former NBA player Jason Collins will be posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, baseball legend Jim Abbott will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Additionally, the Sports Humanitarian Awards will feature honorees as part of this year’s show, including the recipients of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award and the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award.

“The ESPYS Red Carpet Show presented by TJ Maxx” — hosted by Samantha Rivera, Harry Lyles Jr., Monica McNutt and Kimberley Martin, with Will Reeve contributing as a reporter — will stream live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN’s YouTube and Facebook and the ESPN App. Also from the red carpet, Kevin Negandhi and Christine Williamson will host “SportsCenter” live at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN and “The ESPYS Preview Show Presented by Capital One” live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. “Good Morning America”’s Will Reeve will contribute as a reporter to all ESPN preshow programming.

About “The ESPYS”
The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on ABC. The show will also stream on ESPN+ on the ESPN App in pattern with ABC airings across time zones and be available to stream the next day on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, and ABC Video on Demand. Top celebrities from sports and entertainment will come together to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major athletic achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPYS help to raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS back in 1993. ESPN has helped raise more than $292 million for the V Foundation over the past 30+ years. The ESPYS are produced by ESPN, Full Day Productions and Fanatics Studios. Follow The 2026 ESPYS on X/Twitter @ESPYS.

 

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