Social media has been left divided after ESPN announced they are replacing the iconic ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ with a new show centered around women’s sports.
Starting this summer, ‘Women’s Sports Sundays’ will show games from both the WNBA and NWSL. There will be 12 games broadcast across nine consecutive weeks.
ESPN’s decision comes amid a boom in interest in women’s sports around America in recent years, particularly in basketball thanks to the meteoric rise of Caitlin Clark.
The network is hoping to capitalize on that interest after they wiped the beloved ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ off their schedule after 36 seasons.
MLB and ESPN mutually agreed to end their seven-year, $550 million TV deal after just four seasons back in February 2025.
They later returned to the negotiating table and struck a deal, which will allow ESPN to broadcast 30 midweek games nationally during the upcoming season.
ESPN has announced they are replacing ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ with a women’s sports show
There will be 12 WNBA or NWSL games broadcast by ESPN across nine consecutive weeks
‘Sunday Night Baseball’ will now be broadcast by NBC instead. Starting this season, they will show 27 primetime games.
But ESPN’s decision to replace their legendary baseball slot with a women-only focused program has split viewers on social media.
One critic commented: ‘Oh my goodness what a terrible idea. I’d rather watch paint dry than this.’
Another wrote: ‘Guaranteeing nobody is going to watch their channel. Seems like a great business idea’. A third claimed MLB is ‘such an afterthought for ESPN’.
One added the network is ‘dying a slow death’, while somebody else claimed the decision will cause ESPN’s ratings to ‘plummet’. Another critic claimed the new show ‘won’t last a year’.
But some viewers are delighted with the move, with one saying: ‘Giving women’s sports the premium Sunday slot isn’t just a trend – it’s smart business.’
Another added: ‘A dedicated primetime slot on ESPN shows how much the demand and audience for women’s sports has grown.’
A third replied: ‘First-of-its-kind weekly franchise? That’s how you build momentum.’
One fan described the move by ESPN as ‘the Caitlin Clark effect in full force’.
ESPN already has TV deals with the WNBA, NWSL and Athletes Unlimited women’s softball, basketball and volleyball competitions.
‘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 and 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 of women’s sports today, while giving athletes and leagues the stage they deserve.’
The start date of the new show remains unclear, most likely because of the ongoing negotiations between the WNBA and its players association over a new collective bargaining agreement that could delay the start of the 2026 season.