Marcello Hernandez to Host 2026 ESPYs at Lincoln Center
Marcello Hernandez will host the 2026 ESPYs at the David Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City on July 15. The move sends one of sports television’s biggest awards shows back to New York for the first time in more than 25 years, after long runs in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Lincoln Center on July 15
The choice gives the show a New York address again, after leaving the city in 2000. The ESPYs debuted in 1993 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden before moving to Radio City Music Hall, so this year’s venue brings the franchise back to the market where it first established itself.
The awards show will air on ABC and stream on the app. For viewers, that keeps the distribution broad and the access straightforward: one broadcast network, one app, and one date on the calendar.
Hernandez and New York
Hernandez said, “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,” That path gives the hosting slot a local edge, since the city that once drew him in for stage time is now handing him the mic for a major live show.
He added, “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.”
Craig Lazarus on the pick
Craig Lazarus said, “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.” ’s vice president and the event’s executive producer is leaning on those ties as the show shifts back to a city with deep roots in its history.
Hernandez also debuted his first Netflix comedy special, Marcello Hernández: American Boy, earlier this year, which adds another credential to a booking that sits at the intersection of comedy, sports television, and live-event programming. The cleanest read is simple: wanted a host who fits New York and speaks to a younger audience without losing the show’s sports frame.
ESPYs return after 25 years
The complication is the geography itself. The ESPYs spent more than 25 years in Las Vegas and Los Angeles before returning to New York, so the 2026 edition is not just a new host announcement; it is a reset of where the show wants to live.
For anyone tracking the event, the practical details are now set: Marcello Hernandez at Lincoln Center, July 15, with the broadcast on ABC and the stream on the app. That leaves the focus on execution, because the location shift and the host selection are already the story.
