Marcello Hernández to Host The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, Airing Wednesday, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Streaming on the ESPN App

The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will be hosted by comedian, actor, writer and producer Marcello Hernández who will bring his signature humor and vibrant personality to the stage as he joins a star-studded roster of athletes and celebrities honoring the greatest achievements in the world of sports. This year marks The ESPYS return to New York City, where the show 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 Hulu, the ESPN App, and ABC Video on Demand.

"I started doing comedy 10 years ago, in Cleveland, Ohio, and I would take the train 12 hours to New York to sell comedy tickets on the street in Greenwich Village in exchange for stage time," said Marcello Hernández. "It is an honor, and frankly feels crazy to be hosting the ESPYS this year in New York. I'm sure the energy is going to be great."

"Marcello is one of the most electric, young comedians today. His genuine enthusiasm for sports and his ties to New York City make him a natural fit to host this year's ESPYS," said Craig Lazarus, ESPN Vice President and The ESPYS Executive Producer. "We are excited to partner with him to celebrate the best moments in sports and look forward to the fresh take he'll bring to the show."

Hernández's role as host of The ESPYS comes off the heels of his debut comedy special, Marcello Hernández: American Boy, which premiered in January 2026 and was a Top 10 Netflix global hit. In addition to his comedic success, Hernández is an avid sports fan, playing collegiate level soccer at John Carroll University.

In 2025, Hernández was recognized by TIME as one of the year's Latino Leaders, named to The Hollywood Reporter's Latin Power List, and selected as one of Variety's Power of Young Hollywood honorees in 2024. Hernández continues to grow his popularity on Saturday Night Live, where he recently closed out his fourth season and is known for fan-favorite sketches, such as "Protective Mom," "Immigrant Dad Talk Show," and the "Domingo" series, along with his regular appearances on "Weekend Update."

Hernández joins a strong lineup of sports and entertainment icons who have previously hosted the event. Past ESPYS hosts include: Jimmy Kimmel, John Cena, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, Shane Gillis, Stephen Curry, Sue Bird, Tracy Morgan, and more.

The 2026 ESPYS mark a historic homecoming for the awards show, returning to the city where the show first began after calling both Las Vegas and Los Angeles home throughout the 2000s. Originally launched at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in 1993 and calling Radio City Music Hall home throughout the late '90s, this return to the heart of Manhattan brings the celebration of sports back to its roots for an unforgettable night at an iconic cultural landmark.

The ESPYS will celebrate major sports achievements, revisit unforgettable moments, and recognize the elite competitors who dominated this season of sports. The show is co-produced by ESPN, Full Day Productions, the live production arm of Words + Pictures, and Fanatics Studios, a Fanatics and OBB company. The show is executive produced by Connor Schell, Dave Chamberlin and Jennifer Aiello for Full Day and Michael D. Ratner, Kfir Goldberg and Camille Maratchi for Fanatics Studios.

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 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.

About Full Day Productions

Full Day Productions, a division of the global production studio Words + Pictures, is one of the leading producers of live events in sports and entertainment. Since its founding in 2021 by Emmy and Peabody Award winning producer Connor Schell, who previously led ESPN's live production group, Full Day has been behind some of the most popular and ambitious shows and specials in the live space, including the ESPYS, NFL Honors, the Oscars Red Carpet Show, the Met Gala, the Netflix Cup, the Netflix Slam, and also conceived and created the upcoming live college volleyball single-night tournament "Spikes Under the Lights." With a deep and experienced roster of talent managers, technical and operations producers, and storytellers, the Full Day team has engineered some of the most definitive shared cultural moments in recent memory. Named in tribute to Jim Valvano's unforgettable speech at the very first ESPYS, every project the company embarks upon seeks to fulfill Jimmy V's definition of a full day - and make the audience laugh, cry, and think along the way.

About Fanatics Studios

Fanatics Studios is a transformative joint venture from Fanatics, a leading global sports platform, and OBB Media, the award-winning next-gen entertainment studio, formed to create the premiere global sports and entertainment studio at the intersection of sports and culture. Designed to independently develop, finance, produce, and distribute best-in-class entertainment, Fanatics Studios houses a slate of projects spanning feature films and documentaries, unscripted and scripted originals, one-of-a-kind live event specials, premium digital series, and more. Combining Fanatics' unmatched reach in sports with a roster of thousands of preeminent athletes and organizations, with OBB's proven ability to drive culture through storytelling, Fanatics Studios delivers high-impact fan experiences. Recent work includes Fanatics Fest: All Access, Fanatics Sportsbook's 'Bet On Kendall' Super Bowl campaign and The Fanatics Flag Football Classic.