There’s one day every year where there is basically no major sports taking place in the US — no baseball, no football, no soccer, not even golf. To fill that hole in sports fans’ calendar, the ESPYs are here for a different kind of competition, an awards show honoring the best athletes, teams and moments from the past year in sports.
The 2022 ESPYs mark the 30th edition of the awards ceremony and is going to feature many of the biggest names across all of sports, like Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Allyson Felix, Mookie Betts, Travis Kelce, Megan Rapinoe, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and more. Many celebrities are also going to on hand, like Star Wars' John Boyega, singer Ciara, Dwayne Johnson, Parks & Rec's Aubrey Plaza, Shang Chi's Simu Lee and Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham.
Here is everything that you need to know on how to watch the 2022 ESPYs.
When is the 2022 ESPYs?
The ESPYs are taking place this year on Wednesday, July 20, at 8 pm ET/PT from The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
How to watch the 2022 ESPYs
Airing on ABC, any US viewer with a traditional cable subscription can tune in to the ESPYs, as ABC is carried by all providers. If you’ve made the switch to a live TV streaming service, ABC is also available on a number of those services, including FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV.
If you’re outside of the US but you want to tune in for the ESPYs, the best way to do that is going to be using a VPN, or virtual private network.
We recommend ExpressVPN as a reliable VPN service for securing your data and accessing shows and events all around the world. Even better, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day no-quibble, money-back guarantee if you're not happy with the service.
Who is the 2022 ESPYs host?
Taking on hosting duties for the ESPYs this year is recent NBA champion and superstar Steph Curry. The Golden State Warriors star and NBA’s all-time three-point leader is hosting the event for the first time. Not only that, he is also nominated for four ESPYs — for Best Male Athlete, Best NBA Player, Best Record-Breaking Performance and for Best Team with the rest of his Golden State Warrior teammates after they won the 2022 NBA Finals.
"I’ve had the pleasure of attending The ESPYS but never imagined I’d have the privilege of hosting this special event,” Curry said in an ESPN press release. “As someone who loves the intersection of sports and entertainment, I look forward to delivering an exciting show for the fans while we celebrate the athletes who created the top moments of the year."
While this is his first time hosting the ESPYs, Curry is no stranger to being a TV personality. Curry helps host ABC’s Holey Moley and hosts the HBO Max original series About Last Night with his wife, Aeysha Curry.
2022 ESPYs nominees
Here is a rundown of some of the nominees for the 2022 ESPYs:
Best Athlete, Men’s Sports
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Best Athlete, Women’s Sports
- Oksana Masters, Cross Country Skiing, Road Cycling, Biathlon
- Suni Lee, Gymnastics
- Katie Ledecky, Swimming
- Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Best Breakthrough Athlete
- Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit
- Eileen Gu, Skier
- Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
- Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Best Record-Breaking Performance
- Stephen Curry passes Ray Allen for most three-pointers in NBA history
- Jocelyn Alo breaks Lauren Chamberlain’s home run record in Division I softball history
- Allyson Felix surpasses Carl Lewis for most medals in US track and field history
- Tom Brady passes Drew Brees for NFL all-time passing yards leader
Best Championship Performance
- Cooper Kupp, Super Bowl LVI
- Julianna Peña, UFC 269
- Max Verstappen, F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
- Cale Makar, Stanley Cup Finals
Best Comeback Athlete
- Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
- Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles
- Diamond DeShields, Phoenix Mercury
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Best Play
- Megan Rapinoe’s unbelievable corner kick
- Justin Tucker’s NFL-record 66-yard field goal
- Ja Morant’s poster dunk
- Hansel Enmanuel windmill dunk
Best Team
- Golden State Warriors, NBA
- Chicago Sky, WNBA
- Atlanta Braves, MLB
- Los Angeles Rams, NFL
- Oklahoma Sooners, College Softball
- Georgia Bulldogs, College Football
- Colorado Avalanche, NHL
See the rest of the nominees for the 2022 ESPY nominees right here.
Arthur Ashe Award for Courage — Vitali Klitschko
One of the most cherished awards at the ESPYs is the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage and this year it is being presented to former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who currently is the mayor of Kyiv and who has been fighting for his home country of Ukraine.
Additional special awards to be presented during the ceremony are the Pat Tillman Award for Service to author, athlete and retired Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans and the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to broadcaster Dick Vitale.
