SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Alum Marcello Hernández to Host 2026 ESPYS in New York
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.
Saturday Night Live alum Marcello Hernández will serve as the host of The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One, the annual ceremony honoring 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. EDT/7 p.m. CDT 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 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 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.”
Hernández’s role as host of “The ESPYS” follows 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 work as a comedian, 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. He recently closed out his fourth season on SNL 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 lineup of sports and entertainment icons who have previously hosted the event, including Jimmy Kimmel, John Cena, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, Shane Gillis, Stephen Curry, Sue Bird, and Tracy Morgan, among others.
“The 2026 ESPYS” mark a homecoming for the awards show, after taking place in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles throughout the 2000s. The event was originally launched at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in 1993 and subsequently held at Radio City Music Hall throughout the late ’90s.
“The ESPYS” celebrates major sports achievements and recognizes 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.
Videos
