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NEW YORK — After winning their first NBA title in 53 years, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were the biggest winners at the 2026 ESPYS on Wednesday night at Lincoln Center.
The sports media giant delivered a star-studded event attracting the biggest names in sports: Brunson, Steph Curry, Simone Biles, Lindsey Vonn, Jayson Tatum, and many more. The heavy hitters from ESPN made the scene, including new Disney chairman Josh D’Amaro (attending his first ESPYS); ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro; president of content Burke Magnus, and thelegendary Chris Berman.
Having also attended the event, here are my five takeaways from this year’s ESPYS:
ESPN Wants World Cup Back
Much of the backstage chatter revolved around this year’s scintillating World Cup. ESPN made its bones on the global stage by broadcasting six World Cups from 1994 to 2014. Bob Ley led the coverage from exotic locales like Brazil, South Africa, and France. There’s still a large contingent in Bristol that fondly recalls those years as the network at its absolute best. Current ESPNers aren’t going to comment on Fox coverage. But former ESPN president John Skipper firmly believes his network did a better job than Fox has in recent years.
“Does it bother me that I put on the television and I have to watch Fox in order to see the World Cup? Yeah, hell yeah, it bothers me,” Skipper told Pable Torre on a recent episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out. “Somebody asked me how they were doing in production, and I finally found the right answer. It’s the second-greatest production of the World Cup ever. So they’re doing okay. But it’s not the greatest production of the World Cup ever.”
FIFA hasn’t kicked off talks yet with bidders seeking to succeed Fox Sports for English-language media rights in 2030 and 2034,so it remains to be seen if ESPN will bid on the property. Future World Cups will come at a high price. Sources have told Front Office Sports that bidding for 2030 will likely start at $1 billion, and that FIFA may seek to bundle English/Spanish language rights to 2030-2034 for a cool $3 billion.
ESPN is on Roll With Hosts
Comedian Shane Gillis arguably delivered the funniest ESPYS hosting performance ever last year. On Wednesday, the likable Marcello Hernandez of Saturday Night Live was almost as good. He fired a nice zinger at his predecessor in his opening monologue. “I also want to shout out last year’s host, Shane Gillis. He is watching from home like a true American- on his couch, drinking a beer, while a Hispanic guy does his job.”
Hernandez delivered some other funny jokes at the expense of Tiger Woods, Bill Belichick, and Jake Paul. I hear Magnus, himself, landed Hernandez for the gig, personally placing a call to his agent. ESPN has been televising the ESPYS since 1993. But it just proves that the show is at its best when it’s hosted by a professional comedian like Gillis, Hernandez, or Tracy Morgan, rather than a superstar athlete trying to tell jokes. Outside of Peyton Manning, it’s really outside their skillset.
McAfee’s Star Continues to Rise
The VIP crowd in the best seats at the David H. Koch Theater seemed to tilt toward McAfee as he schmoozed and shook hands. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana went out of his way to greet his fellow Hoosier celebrity, who shoots his show in Indianapolis. McAfee is a big supporter of the U.S. military. One of the best moments of the show came when he presented U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
Better to Be Lucky and Good
Although New York was the original home of the ESPYS, the award show has been filmed in Los Angeles for over 20 years. ESPN decided months ago to return to the Big Apple for the first time in 27 years. And the timing was perfect.
This year’s awards show from Gotham came in the wake of the Knicks’ electrifying playoff run at nearby Madison Square Garden and Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final across the river in New Jersey. It just felt right for the event to be here this year. Especially when the Knicks took home five awards, including: Brunson for Best NBA Player, Best Championship Performance, and Best Athlete/Men’s Sports; OG Anunoby for Best Play; and the Knicks for Best Team.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I think I’ve seen enough of over-exposed Savannah Bananas, who opened the show. Let’s give them a rest for a while, shall we?
Speaking of over-exposed, Will Ferrell appeared at yet another big sporting event. But Ferrell was actually funny in his bit with Hernandez after bombing during Netflix’s coverage of MLB Home Run Derby.
Mike Tyson had the mic drop moment of the night when the former heavyweight champ seemingly didn’t recognize Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s name. “Shohei’s a guy?” asked Iron Mike. Whoops.
