As women’s sports continues to increase its presence in the landscape of mainstream sports, it appears that ESPN is prepared to adjust accordingly.
According to USA Today‘s Meghan L. Hall, ESPN vice president of production Sara Gaiero recently shared that the network could be on the verge of adding a daily women’s basketball program to its lineup.
“I think we are very close,” Gaiero said of such a show. “It’s become very difficult to turn your eyes and say, ‘We can’t find space for that.'”
ESPN’s Sara Sara Gaiero on how close we are to getting daily programming on women’s basketball:
“I think we are very close…It’s become very difficult to turn your eyes and say, ‘ We can’t find space for that.'”
(Q: @kdotlew3H)#WNBA
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) July 17, 2024
With ESPN remaining one of the WNBA’s top media right partners as a part of a recently agreed to 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal, such a move would seem prudent. Not only has women’s basketball — be it at the college or professional level — received more attention on ESPN’s airwaves over the course of the past year, but the network is also putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to investing in its coverage.
While it’s unclear whether such a show would focus on the WNBA, women’s college basketball or a combination of the two — focusing on both would probably make the most sense considering their staggered seasons — an ESPN vice president stating that a daily women’s basketball show is “very close” is certainly notable. After all, it was just earlier this month that Sarah Spain revealed to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch that she had multiple pitches for women’s sports shows at ESPN rejected, despite also having sponsors for the projects on board.
