ESPN will launch a new weekly primetime franchise dedicated exclusively to women’s sports beginning in summer 2026, the company said this week, marking a significant expansion of its live event strategy around the WNBA and NWSL.
The initiative, branded “Women’s Sports Sundays,” will run for nine consecutive weeks and feature 12 games in Sunday night windows across ESPN platforms. The package will center on top-tier Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) NWSL matchups presented by Ally, positioning women’s professional basketball and soccer as the focal point of ESPN’s summer prime-time schedule.
ESPN described the effort as the first weekly prime-time programming franchise of its kind devoted entirely to women’s sports. In addition to live games, the block will be supported by ESPN’s studio shows, storytelling units and digital and social distribution, creating what executives called a unified platform across linear and streaming outlets.
“Women’s sports are experiencing continued momentum, and Women’s Sports Sundays is ESPN’s next step in meeting that demand,” said Rosalyn Durant, Executive Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions at ESPN. “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 new Sunday night destination builds on ESPN’s existing women’s sports portfolio: The company says more than two-thirds of its live event programming is dedicated to women’s competition across its platforms.
ESPN distributes more than 30,000 hours of live events annually across ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select, and accounts for a significant share of exclusively women’s sports minutes on nationally measured television. Those channels and ESPN’s live sports events are available without cable through the ESPN Unlimited plan within the ESPN app for phones, tablets and smart TVs.
Its year-round rights portfolio includes the WNBA and NWSL, along with other professional properties such as the Women’s Super League, Women’s Lacrosse League, Grand Slam tennis and Athletes Unlimited. ESPN networks also carry 23 NCAA women’s championships each year, including the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record.
The programming block will effectively replace Sunday Night Baseball, which aired during the same time slots on ESPN. The network shares NWSL and WNBA rights with other broadcasters, including the E. W. Scripps Company, which offers comparable games for free on its broadcast and streaming network Ion.
