ESPN’s investment is is paying off, as the newly debuted Women’s Sports Sundays is reporting strong WNBA and AUSL audience turnouts.
WNBA broadcasts are averaging 1.3 million viewers through 10 games — up 6% over last season — while pro softball games are averaging 204,000 viewers to mark a 213% year-over-year increase.
Last Sunday’s Fever vs Aces showdown earned top WNBA ratings, peaking at 1.8 million for a 53% boost over 2025’s regular-season viewership.
ESPN’s decision to replace the long-running Sunday Night Baseball with a women’s sports block raised offseason eyebrows, though the math appears to be working in the media giant’s favor.
The WNBA’s entire TV deal totals $280 million across six networks, while MLB’s Sunday night programming alone runs $200 million per year.
