Women's sports will have a new home on Sundays this summer. ESPN announced that it is launching a new programming block later in 2026 that will put the WNBA and NWSL front and center, called “Women's Sports Sundays,” according to Variety.
The primetime slot will feature marquee matchups in both leagues as the women's sports audience continues to grow. Rosalyn Durant, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and acquisitions, explained that the intention is to prove that the network is committed to expanding its coverage of women's sports in an interview.
“Women’s Sports Sundays isn’t an experiment. It is a flag in the ground and a continuing commitment,” Durant said. “We are setting in an expectation. We want it to be a mainstay and part of a sports fan’s plans.”
Susie Piotrkowski, vice president of women’s sports programming and espnW, went on to detail why ESPN made the decision to become a destination for women's sporting events.
“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,” Piotorkowski added. “This was an opportunity to be intentional and make sure our most premium women’s sports properties were presented in a regular showcase that would make more fans familiar with them.”
ESPN is already home to NCAA women's basketball, the Little League Softball World Series, and the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. The Disney-owned network plans to roll out more details surrounding the specific matchups, broadcasting crew, and other programming details in the following weeks.
