Don’t miss the top stars in sports at the 2026 ESPY Awards
Don’t miss the top stars in sports at the 2026 ESPY Awards
Comedian Marcello Hernandez will host the event live from Lincoln Center in New York City.
The top names in sports and entertainment will converge on Lincoln Center in New York this Wednesday, July 15, 2026, for the 2026 ESPY Awards. Comedian Marcello Hernandez will host the event, which will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The crowd will be filled with Olympic Gold Medalists, Super Bowl and NBA champions, A-list movie, TV, and music stars, and many more. So if you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch the ceremony, we recommend streaming it with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV. You can also stream it on ESPN Unlimited.
How to watch the 2026 ESPY Awards
- When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV or via ESPN Unlimited.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to watch the 2026 ESPY Awards.
Why we recommend watching the 2026 ESPY Awards on DIRECTV
When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers more of cable’s top 35 channels than any of its competitors, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit.
In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are specifically looking to watch the Thunder vs. Spurs game, this is the option that makes the most sense.
But for the first time, DIRECTV is able to offer an even more compelling package of channels for sports fans. Last year, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack.
The MySports plan runs $65 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
These channels bring you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, oh, and MySports also comes with a free ESPN Unlimited subscription? Pretty solid. All these channels and features are available for just $65, which is why it’s our favorite way to watch. Then, you can also add the MyHome Team add-on for $20 more per month to get your local regional sports networks (RSNs), so you never miss your hometown team’s games.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch the 2026 ESPY Awards for free?
If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch only the ESPY Awards and nothing else, there are options available for you. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
The YouTube TV trial is a bit more difficult to nail down. The world’s largest live streamer is currently advertising a 21-day free trial, but our investigating indicates that it is not available to all users, and that some consumers only get an offer of two free days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the signup process. But for three free weeks of service, it is probably worth jumping through a few hoops.
Fubo has a similar situation, but its free trials can typically run from one to seven days.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Check out a teaser for the 2026 ESPY Awards
What are all the streamers that will carry the 2026 ESPY Awards?
Fortunately for sports fans, numerous different streaming services will stream the game, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed Sling TV and the free trial options above, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.
In addition to the live TV streaming options, since the game is being broadcast on a channel that is part of the ESPN family of networks, there is one more choice, ESPN Unlimited.
If you try DIRECTV, but aren’t satisfied with your free-trial offer, then Sling TV might be a better fit. Its Orange package includes ESPN and ESPN2. The Orange plan starts at $46 per month normally, but with a limited-time discount, you can get it 50% off for one month, lowering the price to $23. Then, the Sports Extra will cost another $11, bringing your total up to $34.
The one downside to this option is that Sling does not carry ABC in every market across the country. And since the national network is broadcasting the ESPY Awards, it will be important to confirm that ABC is available in your area before signing up.
In what markets does Sling TV provide ABC?
| ABC market | Channel call sign |
|---|---|
| Chicago | WLS |
| Fresno | KFSN |
| Houston | KTRK |
| Los Angeles | KABC |
| New York | WABC |
| Philadelphia | WPVI |
| Raleigh-Durham | WTVD |
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KGO |
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.
About the 2026 ESPY Awards
Every year, the ESPYs bring together some of the biggest names from the world of sports and entertainment. This year, some of the biggest names scheduled to attend and present awards include sports superstars: Simone Biles, Allyson Felix, Eileen Gu, Chloe Kim, Billie Jean King, Pat McAfee, Ilona Maher, Robin Roberts, Jayson Tatum, and Lindsey Vonn. From the entertainment world, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, DJ Khaled, Tracy Morgan, Oz Pearlman, and more will be on hand. Additionally, Will Ferrell will make a special appearance.
In addition to the competitive awards, trailblazing former NBA player Jason Collins will be posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage; baseball legend Jim Abbott will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance; and Scott Ruskan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Additionally, the Sports Humanitarian Awards will feature honorees as part of this year’s show, including the recipients of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award and the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award.
How to watch the 2026 ESPY Awards from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch as you normally would, you can still catch all of the show, no matter where you are in the world, with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer to make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming like YouTube TV in order to stream the game with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available