ESPN’s 18th Anniversary Broadcasts On July 14

seth_meyersThe 18th annual ESPYs will be hosted by “Saturday Night Live’s” “Weekend Update” anchor Seth Meyers. Meyers will be joined by an all-star lineup of top athletes and entertainers to celebrate the best sports stories of the past 12 months, leading fans through the year’s best plays, biggest upsets and most outstanding performances across all sports. The 2010 ESPYs will be televised live, for the first time since 2003, Wednesday, July 14, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPNHD from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. Additional unique content will be available on a variety of ESPN multimedia platforms including ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile, ESPN Deportes and ESPN International.

“In the ‘anything can happen’ atmosphere that comes with doing a live program, there is no better host for The 2010 ESPYs then Seth Meyers,” said Maura Mandt, the show’s executive producer. “Not only is he one of the most brilliant comedians, his enthusiasm for sports is sure to create some of the most memorable moments in ESPYs history.”

New to the show this year, fans will be able to vote on an ESPYs category during the show, and see the results of their vote live on the stage.

Meyers is a gifted comedian, actor, and writer with several Emmy nominations, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, the show he’s been on since 2001. Beginning in 2006, he has anchored the acclaimed “Weekend Update” segment as well as serving as the head writer for the series. He is also the executive producer on the upcoming feature film adaptation of the SNL sketch, “MacGruber.” Meyers is no stranger to The ESPYs, having been a presenter on The 2009 ESPYs.

“If you asked anyone I played sports with as a kid they would tell you ‘the only way Seth was making it to the ESPYs was as a host or presenter,'” said Meyers

The ESPYs
The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2010 ESPYs will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. The ESPYs honor ESPN’s commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, a partnership launched with the late Jim Valvano at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.

Fans will determine the winners in all categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv, on ESPN Mobile Web at http://espn.mobi and, for the first time, at www.facebook.com/ESPN starting June 24 through July 10.