ESPN’s WNBA-Led Replacement for 'Sunday Night Baseball' Makes Total Sense

ESPN launching ‘Women’s Sports Sundays,’ featuring WNBA action in the former ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ slot, is a no-brainer.

May 24, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots the ball while New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

ESPN made a major programming announcement Thursday, revealing that the primetime slot previously occupied by Sunday Night Baseball will be replaced by a slate of games under the name Women's Sports Sundays. These contests will feature the WNBA, NWSL, women's college basketball and other women's sports taking place in primetime on Sundays.

As is often the case in today's day and age, the news caused some social media uproar without much context applied.

The idiotic opinions reacting to this tweet are amazing. https://t.co/y2KOLI19qa

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) February 19, 2026

But when looking at the facts of the situation, ESPN's decision makes total sense, particularly as it pertains to the WNBA.

First, it's not like Sunday Night Baseball was canceled and replaced. ESPN and MLB ended their national TV contract following the 2025 season, so something was going to go into the slot had been occupied by baseball for 35 years.

Second, the WNBA has already been a staple of the network's coverage on Sunday, so this is merely a shift in timeslot—with the additional women's sports showcase and branding.

Then there is the ratings aspect. Per media analyst Richard Deitsch, Sunday Night Baseball averaged a little over 1.5 million viewers the last three seasons. That is a number the WNBA can come close to replicating via a property already in house and under contract with ESPN.

Sunday Night Baseball averaged 1.83 million viewers in 2025, 1.5M viewers in 2024 and 1.45M viewers in 2023.

We're not exactly talking Bad Bunny halftime viewership numbers here.

If ESPN/Disney plays this right, they'll make money on the sponsorship opps alone. https://t.co/llJ5ldqbTt

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) February 19, 2026

The WNBA averaged 1.3 million viewers for ESPN games in 2025, and marquee matchups slated for the 2026 slot could push those numbers even higher. With the league’s biggest draw in Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever scheduled for primetime games against A’ja Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, as well as Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, the upside is clear.

RELATED: ESPN's 2-Word WNBA Season TV Ratings Summary Says It All

ESPN's WNBA Programming Hinges on CBA

Aug 29, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; WNBA basketball on the floor during a game between the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings in the fourth quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Of course, the possible downside remains a work stoppage in the WNBA. The success of ESPN's programming blocking hinges on the league and the players' association coming to an agreement on a CBA in time to keep the 2026 season on schedule.

RELATED: WNBA Warns Time Is Running Out in Dismissing Players' Latest CBA Proposal

But assuming a deal can get done, a WNBA-led block is a no-brainer for ESPN. The league's star power and existing deal with the sports network lends itself to a natural fit for the slot previously occupied by baseball, with the hope being that the other women's sports featured in primetime will also draw an audience.