The 2009 ESPYs

ESPN’s 17th Anniversary Telecast to Honor Best in Sports and Entertainment
Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET

The 17th annual ESPYs will be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, who will be joined by an all-star lineup of top athletes and entertainers to celebrate the best sports stories of the year. Representing his fourth ESPY hosting experience, Jackson will lead fans through the year’s best plays, biggest upsets and most outstanding performances. The 2009 ESPYs co-presented by Under Armour and Land Rover will be taped Wednesday, July 15 from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles and televised Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN HD. Additional unique content will be available on a variety of ESPN multimedia platforms including ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile, ESPN Deportes and ESPN International.

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 2009 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 starting June 25 through July 11.

* For the second time in several years, a limited amount of ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase starting April 20 through www.ticketmaster.com.

Official ESPYs photos are available at www.espnmediazone.com