ESPN to Debut Women’s Sports Sundays in Summer 2026
ESPN recently announced that it would be replacing its previous broadcast of Sunday Night Baseball during the Sunday night primetime slot with a new broadcast called Women’s Sports Sundays. This new broadcast will debut Summer 2026 and will feature live matches from the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). This summertime broadcast will span nine consecutive weeks and feature 12 games.
The addition of Women’s Sports Sundays comes as a result of the increasing popularity of women’s sports. ESPN Executive Vice President of Programming & Acquisitions, Rosalyn Durant, spoke about their aim with this new broadcast, stating: “Women’s sports are experiencing continued momentum, and Women’s Sports Sundays is ESPN’s next step in meeting that demand. This franchise is about more than showcasing games—it’s about building a consistent, high-profile destination that reflects the passion, excellence, and cultural impact of women’s sports today, while giving athletes and leagues the stage they deserve.”
Disney, owner of ESPN, has been aiming to build their broadcast of women’s sports programming. They recently struck a deal with Ally, a financial-service firm, which allocated 90% of Ally’s ad dollars to support Disney’s women’s sports programming. Ally has supported this new broadcast, even promoting it with custom promotional vignettes.
“Women’s Sports Sundays isn’t an experiment,” Durant explained. “It is a flag in the ground and a continuing commitment.”
ESPN executives are hoping this move will help to continue to expand women’s sports viewers from all walks of life.
“We are setting in an expectation. We want it to be a mainstay and part of a sports fan’s plans,” Durant said, adding that, ultimately, most fans care about the quality of the game, not whether the athletes playing are male or female.
ESPN will announce all of the matchups in the coming weeks.
