ESPN Announces Primetime WNBA Showcase on Sundays

Women's basketball and soccer to replace Sunday Night Baseball in ESPN's weekend lineup.

Feb. 27, 2026 at 12:55am

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ESPN has announced a major change to its broadcast schedule, replacing Sunday Night Baseball with a new 'Women's Sports Sundays' showcase featuring WNBA and NWSL games. The move comes after MLB shifted its Sunday night games to NBC, opening up a primetime weekend slot for ESPN to highlight the growing popularity of women's professional sports.

Why it matters

This is a significant boost for the WNBA, which has seen increased viewership and interest in recent seasons thanks to the arrival of star players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The new Sunday night showcase will give the league unprecedented national exposure and help introduce the sport to new audiences.

The details

Starting this upcoming season, ESPN will air a doubleheader of WNBA and NWSL games on Sunday nights for nine consecutive weeks over the summer. The network is dubbing this new programming block 'Women's Sports Sundays,' representing what it calls 'a bold commitment to incomparable competition, consistency, and storytelling' in women's sports.

  • The 'Women's Sports Sundays' programming will debut in the summer of 2026.
  • The WNBA is also expanding, adding two new franchises in Toronto and Portland this season, with three more teams set to join by 2030 for a total of 18 teams.

The players

Caitlin Clark

A rising star in the WNBA who has helped drive increased interest and viewership in the league.

Angel Reese

Another highly touted WNBA player who has contributed to the league's growing popularity.

ESPN

The network that is making a major commitment to showcasing women's sports with its new 'Women's Sports Sundays' programming block.

MLB

The professional baseball league that is shifting its Sunday Night Baseball games to NBC, opening up the primetime weekend slot for ESPN to feature women's sports.

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What’s next

The 'Women's Sports Sundays' programming block will debut on ESPN in the summer of 2026, replacing the former Sunday Night Baseball timeslot.

The takeaway

ESPN's decision to dedicate primetime weekend slots to showcasing the WNBA and other women's professional sports leagues represents a significant milestone for the growth and visibility of women's athletics. This move has the potential to introduce the sport to new audiences and further propel the WNBA's rising popularity.