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Sports stars gather in New York for the ESPY awards ceremony
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Billboard has published a viewer's guide for the 2026 ESPY Awards, explaining how sports fans without cable can watch the ceremony free of charge via trial subscriptions to services such as DirecTV, Sling TV, FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV. The guide matters to cord-cutters because it marks the ESPYs' return to New York City for the first time in five years, with a starry line-up of nominees and performers broadcast live on ABC.
The 34th annual ESPYs took place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on Wednesday 15 July at 8pm ET/PT, hosted by Marcello Hernández. Nominees included Jalen Brunson, Shohei Ohtani, Lionel Messi, A'ja Wilson and Aryna Sabalenka, with performances from De La Soul, Ghostface Killah and Slick Rick. For those without cable, DirecTV and FuboTV offered five-day free trials and Hulu + Live TV a three-day trial, while Sling TV's Blue plan (from $45.99 a month) also carries ABC, giving several no-upfront-cost routes to stream the broadcast.
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In short
- ESPYs returned to New York for the first time in five years on 15 July.
- Ceremony aired live on ABC, hosted by Marcello Hernández.
- Free-trial streaming options included DirecTV, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV.
How this story developed
- 4 months ago Billboard refreshed the guide again with fuller streaming detail, specifying that Sling Blue carries over 40 channels and FuboTV over 220 for $63.99 in its first month, sharpening the comparison between the trial and paid routes to watch the broadcast.
- 4 months ago Billboard reissued the viewer's guide once the ceremony had aired, confirming Marcello Hernández's hosting and the trial lengths on offer, five days for DirecTV and FuboTV and three days for Hulu + Live TV, while noting Sling TV's Blue plan from $45.99 a month as a paid fallback.
- 4 months ago The article set out how to watch the 34th ESPY Awards, returning to New York City on 15 July, listing free-trial routes such as DirecTV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV alongside paid options like Sling Blue.
Explained simply
The ESPY Awards are an annual American ceremony run by the sports network ESPN. They recognise sporting achievements from the past year, with awards covering athletes, teams, coaches and notable moments across many sports.
The event brings together players from US leagues and international sport, alongside entertainers and broadcasters. It is usually shown on ABC and ESPN, and includes award presentations, speeches and live music performances.
The awards matter chiefly as a high-profile celebration of sport in the United States, with winners chosen through a mix of public voting and ESPN’s selection process. Holding the ceremony in New York places it in one of the country’s main media and sporting centres.
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Originally published by Billboard as “Here’s How to Watch the 2026 ESPY Awards Online for Free”.