ESPN Replaces Sunday Night Baseball With Women's Sports

As MLB attendance hits 20-year highs, ESPN opts for women's sports over the rapidly growing baseball league.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 12:40am

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ESPN has made a controversial decision to replace its Sunday Night Baseball broadcast with a collection of women's sports programming, despite Major League Baseball seeing substantial growth in attendance, fan interest, and television ratings in recent years. The network had previously committed nearly $3 billion per year to broadcast the declining NBA product, leaving them unable or unwilling to invest in the increasingly popular MLB.

Why it matters

This decision highlights ESPN's struggles with leadership and quality decision-making, as they choose to focus on a dwindling NBA audience over the rapidly growing MLB. It raises questions about ESPN's priorities and whether they are properly allocating resources to capitalize on the surging popularity of baseball.

The details

ESPN's decision to replace Sunday Night Baseball with women's sports programming comes as MLB has seen a resurgence in popularity. Attendance hit 20-year highs in 2025, marking the third straight year of growth. MLB.tv viewership exploded 27% in 2025, Sunday Night Baseball was up 21% year-over-year, and national TV ratings also saw substantial increases across Fox, TBS, and MLB Network. However, ESPN had previously committed nearly $3 billion per year to broadcast the NBA, a league that has seen declining ratings and interest in recent years.

  • MLB attendance hit 20-year highs in 2025.
  • MLB.tv viewership increased 27% in 2025.
  • Sunday Night Baseball ratings were up 21% year-over-year in 2025.

The players

ESPN

A major American sports television network that has struggled with leadership and decision-making in recent years, including controversial hires and a focus on the declining NBA over the surging MLB.

Major League Baseball

The professional baseball league in the United States and Canada that has seen substantial growth in attendance, fan interest, and television ratings in recent years, bucking broader sports industry trends.

National Basketball Association

The professional basketball league in the United States and Canada that has seen declining ratings and interest in recent years, despite ESPN's nearly $3 billion per year commitment to broadcast its games.

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What they’re saying

“There's nothing wrong with showing more women's sports, and obviously the WNBA has seen some level of growth in recent seasons, thanks in large part to Caitlin Clark. The broader issue is that they chose to get into an extensive, expensive partnership with the NBA. Despite that league's years of ratings and general decline.”

— Ian Miller, Author

The takeaway

This decision by ESPN highlights the network's struggles with strategic decision-making, as they choose to focus on a declining NBA product over the rapidly growing popularity of Major League Baseball. It raises questions about ESPN's priorities and whether they are properly allocating resources to capitalize on the surging interest in baseball.