On Wednesday night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, some of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment will come together to once again celebrate…well, themselves.

It’s hard to believe the ESPY Awards are approaching the quarter century mark, but that doesn’t mean this year’s 23rd edition is devoid of controversy.

Most of that buzz centers around the announcement that Caitlyn Jenner will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. A number of sports and entertainment pundits have opined that the award is a cynical marketing ploy by ESPN to draw viewers to the telecast. Bob Costas, more scathingly, called it “crass exploitation play.”

Caitlyn, formerly Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner, came out to the world as a transgender woman earlier this year in a 20/20 special, part of a carefully crafted media strategy that culminates in the debut of Jenner’s own TV show later this month.

One person defending ESPN’s choice, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Joel McHale, this year’s host of the awards show. The Community star told People there’s “no question” Jenner deserves the award and that her announcement represented a historic moment for transgender awareness.

As for other top names who will be in attendance Wednesday night, LeBron James and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala will present awards along with NFL stars Richard Sherman, JJ Watt and Chris Long. Hollywood will be well-represented with Vince Vaughn, Kiefer Sutherland and Mike Epps presenting. Members of the U.S. Women’s National Team, fresh off their World Cup victory, including Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux are all scheduled to attend. The ESPY’s have always been good for a few “what are they doing here moments” and with that in mind, Britney Spears will be a presenter as well.

Capital One, the show’s presenting sponsor, will have a presence during the countdown and nomination special, featuring the Capital One Cam, which offers 360-degree views of the red carpet.

First-time sponsors signing on to the show include MetroPCS and Nike, while brands like Cadillac, Miller Lite, Gatorade and Grey Goose return to the fold. Cadillac is sponsoring a Tuesday night pre-party while Miller serves as presenting sponsor for the official post-party. Sponsors also will participate in the ESPYs Celebrity Golf Classic, which raises money for the V Foundation.

Last year’s show earned modest increases compared to the 2013 edition, delivering a 1.6 household rating and a 13% increase in total viewers. That show will be remembered for years to come thanks to Stuart Scott’s moving acceptance speech for the Jimmy V Award. Michael Sam, receiving the Arthur Ashe Award, also reminded watchers that the ESPYs can provide us with moments really that do transcend sports.

Perhaps this year’s moment will come from Caitlyn Jenner. ESPN is banking on it.

Tags:


  Save as PDF