After 36 seasons as a staple of American sports television, “Sunday Night Baseball” on ESPN is stepping aside, and the reaction has been anything but quiet.
A 36-Year ESPN Era Comes to an Abrupt Close
For decades, Sunday nights on ESPN meant one thing: baseball under the lights. The network’s long-running partnership with Major League Baseball helped define modern sports broadcasting, turning marquee matchups into weekly rituals for fans across the country. But that chapter officially closed in February 2025, when MLB and ESPN mutually agreed to terminate their seven-year, $550 million television deal after just four seasons.
Though the two sides later negotiated a revised agreement allowing ESPN to air 30 nationally televised midweek games during the upcoming season, the prized Sunday night slot was left open. Rather than restore baseball to its traditional perch, ESPN made a striking decision, one that signals a broader shift in sports media priorities.
Betting Big on the Boom in Women’s Sports
Beginning this summer, ESPN will debut “Women’s Sports Sundays,” a new franchise featuring games from both the WNBA and the National Women’s Soccer League. The schedule includes 12 broadcasts spread across nine consecutive weeks, giving women’s sports a consistent, high-profile platform in primetime.
The move reflects the undeniable momentum behind women’s athletics. Basketball, in particular, has experienced a surge in viewership and attendance, driven in large part by Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise. Television ratings have climbed, arenas have filled, and social media engagement has soared. Soccer has followed a similar trajectory, with the NWSL expanding its reach and strengthening broadcast partnerships.
Rosalyn Durant, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and acquisitions, described the initiative as more than a scheduling adjustment. She emphasized that the franchise aims to create a dependable destination that showcases the passion, excellence, and cultural impact of women’s sports while meeting growing audience demand.
A Divided Audience Reacts in Real Time
Online response to the announcement has been swift and polarized. Some longtime baseball fans criticized the decision, predicting ratings declines and questioning whether a women-focused program can sustain the legacy of the Sunday night brand. Others argued that MLB has become secondary on ESPN in recent years, suggesting the change merely formalizes an existing shift.
Supporters, however, view the move as forward-thinking. Many praised the network for recognizing evolving viewer interests and granting women’s sports a premium platform typically reserved for marquee events. Some described the development as the “Caitlin Clark effect in full force,” pointing to record-breaking attention in recent seasons as proof of long-term viability.
The exact launch date remains unclear, partly due to ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the WNBA and its players’ association, which could delay the start of the 2026 season. Still, ESPN’s message is unmistakable: Sunday night is no longer defined solely by tradition. Instead, it has become a test case for where the future of sports broadcasting may be headed.
