Eat your heart out, Mark Shapiro. Women are good for business!
For two decades, this ESPN exec (of Six Flags bankruptcy fame) made it his life’s mission to stunt the growth of the WNBA.
Now, ESPN is replacing Sunday baseball with WNBA and NWSL matchups: Women’s Sports Sundays.
The game has changed.
Not just the one on the court…
But the one in the boardroom.
If you’ve been paying attention lately…
You can feel the shift.
It’s loud.
It’s profitable.
And it’s finally getting the primetime slot it deserves.
The New Primetime: Women’s Sports Sundays
ESPN just dropped a bombshell.
Starting in the summer of 2026…
Sunday nights are no longer just for the guys.
Enter: Women’s Sports Sundays.
Twelve live games.
Nine consecutive weeks.
The WNBA and the NWSL taking center stage in the most coveted window in television.
Think about that for a second…
Traditionally, women’s sports were relegated to the “whenever we have space” slot.
Tuesday afternoons.
Late-night replays.
The secondary channels.
Not anymore.
ESPN saw a gap…
Specifically, the gap left when Sunday Night Baseball moved to NBC.
In the past, networks might have filled that hole with anything: poker reruns, classic highlights, or men’s secondary leagues.
But today?
The business logic points directly to women.
They aren’t just filling a slot…
They are anchoring a franchise.
Let’s Talk About the Money (The Real Story)
People love to talk about “representation.”
And representation matters.
Truly.
But as an indie founder and storyteller…
I also like to talk about the receipts.
The WNBA has officially hit its first-ever revenue-sharing milestone.
The “profit trigger.”
For the first time in history…
The league is profitable enough to trigger the sharing of revenue with the players.
This isn’t a “charity” project.
This isn’t a “social experiment.”
This is a lucrative business.
The upcoming 2026 season is launching with media rights deals worth $2.2 billion.
Let that number sit with you.
BILLIONS, bro!!!
Amazon, ESPN, and NBC are all in.
Why?
Because the audience is there.
The Indiana Fever vs. the Las Vegas Aces…
Caitlin Clark vs. A’ja Wilson…
These aren’t just “good for women’s sports” matchups.
These are global entertainment events.
The WNBA averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN last season.
The demand is undeniable.
The Business of Being First
As an entrepreneur…
As an artist…
As someone building a brand from the ground up…
There is a lesson here.
For years, people said women’s sports weren’t “marketable.”
They said the interest wasn’t there.
They were wrong.
The interest was always there: the investment wasn’t.
Now that the infrastructure is catching up…
The returns are exploding.
This is why I do what I do.
This is why I tell stories that center Black women and unconventional leads.
Because the world is finally realizing what we’ve known all along:
Our stories sell.
Our talent is a blue-chip asset.
When we talk about the “Business of Sports,” we are really talking about the business of human connection.
And nobody connects quite like these athletes.
Stories That Move the Needle
Speaking of shifting the narrative…
You know I’m obsessed with storytelling that breaks the mold.
That’s why I created COACH QUINN.
If you haven’t checked it out yet…
It’s my scripted series (and book/audiobook) about a woman navigating the high-stakes world of football.
It’s about leadership.
It’s about grit.
It’s about being the only one in the room and winning anyway.
Much like what we’re seeing with the WNBA…
COACH QUINN is about that intersection of sport, business, and raw ambition.
It’s available now as a Challenge Flag edition on Gumroad.
You can also find the story on Amazon and Audible.
If you want to understand the heart behind the headlines…
This is where you start.
Why This Matters to You (The Entrepreneur)
You might be thinking…
“Kayona, I’m not a basketball player. I’m an indie filmmaker.”
Or…
“I’m a founder building a tech startup.”
“What does a $2.2 billion sports deal have to do with me?”
Everything.
It’s about validation.
It’s proof that the “traditional” gatekeepers don’t always know where the money is.
They ignored women’s sports for decades.
They left billions on the table.
Don’t wait for the gatekeepers to give you the “primetime” slot.
Build your own league.
Cultivate your own audience.
Hit your own profit triggers.
The WNBA reached this point because the players, the fans, and the independent advocates refused to be quiet.
They forced the hand of the giants.
That is the energy we are bringing into 2026.
Add these ideas to your arsenal:
- Don’t wait for “fair.” Make yourself undeniable.
- Look for the gaps. ESPN found a Sunday night gap; where is the gap in your industry?
- Own your value. The WNBA players didn’t just ask for a raise; they negotiated a profit-sharing trigger.
The Shift is Here
Seeing Black women like A’ja Wilson and others lead this charge into primetime…
It’s more than just a win for sports.
It’s a win for the culture.
It’s a win for the entertainment industry.
It’s a win for every indie founder who has been told their niche is “too small.”
There is no such thing as “too small” when the execution is world-class.
ESPN is investing in storytelling, studio programming, and digital coverage.
They are putting the full weight of their machine behind this.
Why?
Because it makes business sense.
Finally.
Stay in the Loop
This is just one example of how the landscape is shifting for creators and athletes alike.
I’m keeping my eyes on these moves…
Reacting to the news…
And building my own path in the process.
Let’s keep this conversation going.
I want to hear from you.
How are you positioning yourself for the “primetime” in your own life?
Are you ready for the shift?
I know I am.
Let’s get to work.