Shane Gillis’s opening monologue at the 2025 ESPYS drew an uneven response: the Bill Belichick material got early laughs, while later jokes were met with less laughter or apparent discomfort, according to contemporaneous Associated Press and CBS reports. That makes “struggles for laughs” a fair description of some moments—not proof that the whole set failed or that the room shared one opinion.
What happened at the 2025 ESPYS
Gillis hosted the ESPYS at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. The show aired live on ABC and streamed on ESPN+. ESPN said it would be available on demand the following day through Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. ESPN had announced Gillis as host on June 24.
ESPN’s July 16 recap characterized the opening as “sharp” and noted jokes about public figures including Aaron Rodgers, Bill Belichick, Simone Biles, and Shohei Ohtani. The Associated Press and CBS, reporting the next day, emphasized the room’s mixed reaction. Those accounts describe different aspects of the event: ESPN’s was the host network’s recap, while AP and CBS focused on how jokes appeared to land with the audience.
Which jokes landed—and which drew a mixed response?
Belichick material drew early laughs
AP and CBS reported that Gillis’s early jokes about Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson got a lot of laughs. The response became more mixed as the bit continued; CBS reported that Gillis acknowledged he should have cut part of it.
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The Diana Taurasi name slip
Gillis called basketball player Diana Taurasi “Deanna,” then corrected himself with “My bad on that,” according to AP and CBS. Taurasi was scheduled to receive the Icon Award later that evening.
A Caitlin Clark joke divided the room
Clark was not present. AP and CBS reported that some audience members laughed at Gillis’s joke about her while others appeared uncomfortable. The premise was racialized, a relevant part of why the moment drew a divided response; the reports do not establish that everyone in the room reacted the same way.
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Other references and the closing
Gillis addressed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, joking that the people seated around the NBA Finals MVP were in foul trouble. CBS reported that Gilgeous-Alexander smiled. AP and CBS also noted references to Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as well as former ESPYS host Norm MacDonald. CBS put the set at about ten minutes.
Gillis ended by acknowledging the reception: “I see a lot of you don’t like me and that’s OK. That’s it for me. That went about exactly how we all thought it was going to go. I don’t know why this happened.” AP and CBS reported the closing remarks.
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Why descriptions of the monologue differ
“Sharp,” ESPN’s description, and AP’s account of an awkward set with mixed reactions are not necessarily contradictory. The first is the event network’s characterization of the material; the latter reports describe observed audience response. AP said laughter was stronger early and diminished later, while CBS also described moments when some people laughed and others appeared uncomfortable.
These are reported observations, not a measurement of audience-wide opinion. No audience poll or laugh-rate study is established in the cited coverage, and reactions in the room cannot show what every attendee thought. AP also reported mixed social-media responses, with some viewers calling the set hilarious and others cringey; those comments likewise do not amount to a representative poll.
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Where to watch the monologue
ESPN published an official video titled “Shane Gillis’ opening monologue at the 2025 ESPYS” on July 17, 2025. Its current availability may vary. The event itself aired live on ABC and ESPN+, with ESPN listing Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for next-day on-demand viewing.
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