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ESPN announced that the Sunday night primetime position originally filled with “Sunday Night Baseball" will be replaced with nine weeks of “Women’s Sports Sundays” starting in the summer of 2026.
“Women’s Sports Sundays” will highlight the WNBA and NWSL through the summer, and Susie Piotrkowski, the Vice President of Women’s Sports Programming and espnW, says there are hopes of extending the period to showcase key women’s sports events through the year.
“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,” Piotrkowski said. “We saw an opportunity to have access in what I would call women’s sports season, the summer months. This was an opportunity to be intentional and make sure our most premium women’s sports properties [were shown regularly].”
Growth of Women’s Basketball
This announcement came just days after the South Carolina vs. LSU women’s basketball game became the most-viewed of the season and fourth all-time for NCAA women’s basketball, peaking at 2.2 million viewers. The game was the fifth NCAA women’s basketball game this season to garner over 1 million views.
This growth didn’t happen overnight, though. In fact, in the 2024 season, the women’s March Madness Championship featuring South Carolina vs. Iowa averaged 18.9 million viewers, higher than the men's for the first time in history, which averaged 14.8 million views.
“A lot of times people think that people aren’t watching,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “Women’s basketball and women’s sports are at an all-time high. And it’s in high demand. Let people know, because there are a lot of people out there that don’t think we’ve got the numbers behind our sports, when it comes to women.”
The WNBA has also seen significant growth in the past two seasons. In the 2024 season, viewership on CBS rose to an average of 1.1 million a game, up 86% from the prior year. The numbers also increased in 2025. On ESPN networks, the viewership increased to 1.3 million a game, marking a 6% increase from the past season. The 2025 WNBA Postseason was also the most viewed since 1999 across all stations and the Ace’s 2025 Finals victory was second-most watched behind only the 2024 series.
And it’s not just the live games. Highlights, studio shows and on-demand videos also saw an explosion in viewership for the ESPN platform. Hoop Streams and The Wrap-Up combined for a year-over-year rise of 60% in total views and 110% in hours watched from Sept. 12 to Oct. 12. Its video-on-demand content also increased by 20% year-over-year.
“Women’s basketball and women’s sports are at an all-time high. And it’s in high demand. Let people know, because there are a lot of people out there that don’t think we’ve got the numbers behind our sports, when it comes to women.”
Growth of Women’s Soccer
The NWSL has also seen viewership expansion in recent years.
In September of 2025, the NWSL announced its new four-year TV deal, worth $240 million. It partners the league with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video, Victory+, and Scripps Sports, expanding media coverage to match with the two new teams starting in the 2026 season.
“We are expanding the discoverability and reach of NWSL matches because the demand is there,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “These additional media packages will help us reach new audiences and build a new generation of fandom. The expanded commitments from CBS Sports and ESPN, paired with a new national Sunday night showcase with Victory+, bolster the NWSL’s trajectory of unprecedented growth.”
The 2025 NWSL season marked the fourth year in a row of positive growth, with a 22% year-over-year increase in TV viewership. Its growth is not only on the TV, though. The NWSL is also exploding in in-person viewership.
The NWSL now holds 48 of the top 50 spots of highest attended U.S. women’s professional sports leagues games. The record for the most in-person fans for the NWSL was set in the 2025 season, with 40,091 fans attending the Washington Spirit’s home game against Bay FC.
“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”
Women’s Sports Sundays
With the NWSL and WNBA airing multiple games each on Sundays, ESPN’s new program opens up even more space for women’s sports to grow and develop.
“Women’s sports are experiencing continued momentum, and Women’s Sports Sundays is ESPN’s next step in meeting that demand,” said Rosalyn Durant, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions. “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.”
