Former Broncos, Colts QB Peyton Manning to host 2017 ESPYS
May 16, 2017, 7:47 PM | Updated: Oct 31, 2022, 4:15 pm
Peyton Manning is no stranger to award shows, but 2017 will be the year the future Hall of Famer will be dishing out the hardware instead of receiving it.
ABC tapped the former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback to host this year’s edition of The ESPYS, the 25th anniversary of the show that celebrates accomplishment in sports.
“It’s an honor to be asked to host The ESPYS, and it’s even more meaningful that it’s the 25th year for this incredible event,” Manning said via an ESPN news release.
Manning’s hosting gig comes nearly two decades after he won the 1998 ESPY for “Best College Football Player.” He’d go on to win another eight ESPYS throughout his career in the NFL, including “Best NFL Player,” “Best Record-Breaking Performance,” and “Best Championship Performance.”
“In addition to recognizing a special year in sports, the 25th ESPYS will allow us to go down memory lane and pay tribute to those who have played such a huge part in this program’s success.”
ESPYS executive producer Maura Mandt noted Manning’s previous on-camera work in television advertisements and “Saturday Night Live,” saying it showed him as an athlete could transcend the “prism” of sports, in which most people knew him.
“… His warm sense of humor and ability to connect with an audience have been highlighted in his commercial work and when he hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ to critical acclaim,” Mandt said in a news release. “Those qualities will make him a wonderful host for this year’s show.”
The show will air live on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 12, at 6 p.m. MT.
