ESPN was looking for a replacement for Sunday Night Baseball after broadcasting the last match in September 2025, and they have finally found it.

On February 23, an X update from Front Office Sports disclosed that ESPN is set to allot Sunday Night Baseball's airtime to an all-new program named 'Women's Sports Sundays.'

It also revealed that ESPN will focus on women's soccer and basketball to begin with, and air "12 games from the WNBA and NWSL" as part of the program. The matches will be broadcast over "nine" Sunday nights, starting this "summer". ESPN announced the swap on February 19.

Several factors are necessitating this change. In February 2025, there was a mutual termination of the 7-year, $500 million broadcasting deal between ESPN and MLB, which led to the end of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast in September.

One of the objectives of this move is to match up with the growing momentum in women’s sports, as Susie Piotrkowski (vice president, women’s sports programming at ESPNW) and Rosalyn Durant (ESPN’s executive vice president, programming & acquisitions) hinted.

“Sunday is a day of the week when we see a ton of our best women’s sports programming, and we will have events outside of our primetime window”, said Piotrkowski. While Durant stated, "It is a flag in the ground, and a continuing commitment… We want it to be a mainstay and part of a sports fan’s plans."

With the WNBA just about to tip off, the summer months are the perfect time for executing this. But due to some issues, the result might suffer.

Women’s Sports Sunday Might Be Hampered Because of the Situation in the WNBA

A significant issue for Women’s Sports Sunday might stem from the ongoing delay in the CBA negotiations. The WNBA and the players are yet to reach a CBA agreement. After a 17-month stalemate, the league is willing to bring some structural changes.

But despite the charter flights, team housing, modified roster spots, better staffing and facility standards, etc, the main concern about revenue sharing and free agency remains. The 27.5% of gross revenue sought by players is “unrealistic” for the league.

Even if the season starts on time, the rating would heavily depend on Caitlin Clark’s appearances. But Clark, arguably the face of the league, had been sidelined in 2025 after 13 games due to injury.

And even if she makes a healthy return, her games won’t air every Sunday. Without her, the content would suffer, and so would the viewership. But for that, ESPN can also count on the fast-growing NWSL.

What are your two cents on this new move? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy