In a bid to boost its viewership, ESPN’s annual sports awards show The ESPYs are moving to broadcast television this year.
The 23rd edition of the ESPYs will air on ABC on July 15 from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET. Prior to the show, ESPN will air a special SportsCenter at 6 p.m. and a red carpet preshow at 7 p.m.
“The ESPYs attracts celebrities from the movie, television, sport and music industries. This is an opportunity to celebrate the playmakers and share in the emotional connection they have with their favorite sports on the network that is their home away from home,” said Robert Mills, senior VP, alternative series, specials & late night programming, ABC Entertainment. “We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the show than to offer it a larger landscape for more people to participate in the celebration.”
The award show gathers top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements. The ESPYs raise more than $1 million annually for The V Foundation, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano to promote cancer research.
The ESPYs are executive produced by Maura Mandt and MaggieVision Productions. Last year’s show, hosted by Drake, drew 2.2 million viewers.
