Marcello Hernández is heading to the ESPYs. The comedian, actor, and Saturday Night Live regular will host the 2026 ESPYs. The show airs live July 15 on ABC from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
What We Know: The show airs at 8 p.m. ET and streams on ESPN+ and Hulu. In addition, this marks a significant homecoming as the ESPYs return to New York City for the first time in decades. Originally launched at Madison Square Garden in 1993, the show later moved to Radio City Music Hall before relocating to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Past hosts have included Jimmy Kimmel, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, and Stephen Curry.
What They Said: Marcello Hernández: “I started doing comedy 10 years ago, in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. 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.”
ESPN VP and Executive Producer Craig Lazarus: “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. 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.”
What Remains Unclear: No presenter lineup has been announced yet. Additionally, specific award categories and nominees remain unconfirmed. Similarly, it’s also unclear whether the NYC venue change becomes permanent going forward.
What It Means: Hernández brings real momentum into this role. His Netflix debut special, American Boy, cracked the global Top 10 in January on the streaming platform. The ESPYs are clearly betting on a younger, culturally connected voice to energize the show’s next chapter. Furthermore, this will mark the first time comedians or actors have hosted the award show since 2013 in back to back years. The last time this occurred was when the awards were hosted by Rob Riggle (2012), and Jon Hamm (2013).
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
