ESPN has announced the debut of "Futbol W," a weekly studio program dedicated to North American women's soccer. The show, hosted by former U.S. women's national team standout Ali Krieger and Sebastian Salazar, will follow a similar format to ESPN's "Futbol Americas," which covers men's soccer and is hosted by Salazar and Herculez Gomez.

The inaugural episode of "Futbol W" is set to premiere on July 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Subsequent weekly episodes will stream live on ESPN+ on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. ET and will be available on demand thereafter.

ESPN's Vice President of Production, Manny de la Fe, expressed enthusiasm for the launch of "Futbol W" stating, "We are pleased to launch ‘Futbol W' amid the popularity and excitement around women's sports, which is at an all-time high in the United States. ‘Futbol W' will inform, entertain, and showcase the incredible athletes to sports fans. It will be our signature news and analysis studio program - a weekly one-stop destination for fans to get their need-to-know insight about women's soccer."

The show's primary focus will encompass the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT), Liga MX Femenil, and Concacaf stars competing in European leagues. In addition to game analysis, "Futbol W" will delve into the off-field aspects of players’ lives, including culture, fashion, food, and community involvement within the sport.

Social media reactions varied, with some expressing concerns about the show potentially being overshadowed by other programming, while others commended ESPN for this initiative. Notably, there were contrasting opinions on whether a separate program dedicated to women's soccer was the best approach or if integrating more coverage within existing shows like SportsCenter or "Futbol Americas" would be more beneficial.

Overall, the announcement of "Futbol W" marks a significant milestone in the realm of women's soccer coverage, as ESPN continues to expand its sports programming to cater to a growing audience and interest in women's sports.