Saquon Barkley, the Eagles, and host Shane Gillis highlight what could be a very Philly ESPYs

Philly fans could be in for quite the treat when ESPN’s annual awards show airs live Wednesday night. Pennsylvania native Shane Gillis will host the 2025 ESPYs, which will celebrate the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory among the year’s most memorable moments in sports.

So, be prepared for a few Philly sports jokes, appearances from Philly athletes, and a number of Philly sports nominees. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s ESPYs …

Fans can watch the ESPYs live on Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC (for free) and streaming on ESPN+, which requires a subscription.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts joins Michael Jordan and other stars at Jordan Brand’s Board of Greatness meeting in Greece

Gillis is a comedian, actor, and podcaster from Mechanicsburg, Pa. The 37-year-old West Chester University grad frequently mentions Philadelphia sports, whether it’s in the middle of his set or on his podcast, Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast.

Wednesday’s ESPYs appearance comes shortly after Season 2 of his Netflix series Tires, created by and starring Gillis, was released. The stand-up comedian is on a 40-city international tour, with the ESPYs set to be his latest stop.

And if Gillis’ appearance last season on ESPN’s College Gameday was any indication, you can expect some fireworks — especially if Nick Saban is in the house.

Saquon Barkley could take home a number of awards, including Best Male Athlete, Best NFL Player, and Best Play.

The Eagles running back has some tough competition in the Best Male Athlete category, where he’s nominated alongside Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, NBA MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, and National League MVP Shohei Ohtani. For Best NFL Player, Barkley will be competing against Allen, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts’ offseason rankings are all over the place, from top 5 quarterback to nowhere to be found

For Best Play, Barkley’s backward hurdle is nominated alongside Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winner in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Sabrina Ionescu’s logo three game-winner from Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, and Trinity Rodman’s overtime goal to send the United States women’s national team to the semifinals of the 2024 Olympics.

The Eagles are nominated for Best Team alongside the NHL’s Florida Panthers, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, WNBA’s New York Liberty, college football’s Ohio State Buckeyes, NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, NCAA women’s lacrosse’s North Carolina Tar Heels, the USWNT, and the UConn women’s basketball team.

Dawn Staley is among a number of athletes and coaches with Philly ties who have won ESPYs. Last year, the former six-time WNBA All-Star won the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance for her fight for equality in women’s sports, and her leadership in the fight against cancer.

And that wasn’t the only award of the night for the coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team, which won the Best Team award.

Mo’ne Davis is another former Philadelphia athlete to claim an ESPY, winning Best Breakthrough Athlete in 2015 for her performance with the Taney Dragons in the Little League World Series. And of course, Nick Foles won the Best Championship Performance award in 2018, after his Super Bowl LII performance.