ESPN app to stream Donald Trump's '2026 Patriot Games'
Awful Announcing • • sports
Key Points:
- The first-ever "Patriot Games," announced by President Donald Trump in December, is a four-day athletic event featuring top high school athletes aged 14 to 17 from each U.S. state, territory, and tribal nation competing in military-inspired challenges.
- Despite criticism likening the event to a "real-life Hunger Games," the 2026 Patriot Games will proceed, with competitions held at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, and a $250,000 prize pool aimed at providing educational opportunities for winners.
- The event will be streamed on the ESPN app from August 9 to 11, culminating in a primetime special on ESPN on ABC on August 13, featuring tests based on the Presidential Fitness Test, boot camp circuits, and obstacle courses.
- ESPN's coverage will be anchored by Laura Rutledge, Matt Barrie, Beth Mowins, and Tom Hart, with analysts including Jordan Rodgers and Danielle Lawrie, and a closing special co-hosted by Rutledge and Barrie.
