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2w ago

ESPN to Replace Sunday Night Baseball With 'Women’s Sports Sundays' This Summer

The move follows ESPN’s revised MLB deal that opened summer Sundays, positioning a long-term showcase for rising women’s leagues.

ESPN logo and building are shown in down town Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake
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Overview

  • The new primetime franchise will run nine weeks in Summer 2026 with 12 live WNBA and NWSL games supported by studio programming and digital storytelling, with NWSL segments presented by Ally.
  • ESPN executives call the initiative a long-term commitment, with specific matchups, start date, and on-air talent to be announced.
  • The shift comes after ESPN and MLB reworked their rights, sending Sunday Night Baseball to NBC while ESPN retains a 30-game midweek package and MLB.TV distribution rights.
  • An unresolved WNBA–WNBPA labor negotiation could delay the 2026 season and potentially disrupt the Sunday lineup, though camps are slated for April 19 and tip-off for May 8.
  • ESPN points to rising interest as a business case, noting WNBA games averaged about 1.3 million viewers on ESPN/ABC in 2025 and the NWSL championship drew roughly 1.2 million on CBS, even as social media reaction to the change has been mixed.