Home Run! ESPN scores most-consumed college softball regular season on record

The 2026 college softball regular season was one for the books as ESPN scored its most-consumed season on record with more than 2 billion minutes of game coverage consumed across its networks.

Additionally, the season averaged 292,000 viewers, becoming ESPN's most-watched college softball regular season since 2009. The season finished up 78% compared to the 2025 regular season.

The 2026 campaign featured four of ESPN's eight most-watched regular season games of all-time and delivered a record-high 10 games with more than 500,000 viewers.

2026 Top Regular Season College Softball Games Across ESPN Networks:

Date Time (ET) Network Game Viewers

Apr 19 Noon ESPN No. 5 Texas at No. 13 Georgia 725,000

Apr 11 8 p.m. ESPN No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas 700,000

May 2 Noon ESPN No. 8 Florida at No. 14 Georgia 677,000

Mar 29 Noon ESPN No. 3 Oklahoma at No. 20 LSU 618,000

Apr 12 Noon ESPN No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas 581,000

*Rankings reflected for the date of the game

Championship Saturday

· SEC Championship:

o Texas vs. Alabama scored 847,000 viewers on May 9, making it ESPN's most-watched SEC Championship game since 2015 and the second-best on record

o The matchup ranks as the most-watched game this season and peaked with 970,000 viewers

o The two semifinal games finished up 63% year-over-year, averaging 550,000 viewers

· The semifinal between Georgia and Texas delivered 613,000 viewers, ranking as ESPN's sixth-best game of 2026

· Big 12 Championship:

o Arizona State-Texas Tech registered 597,000 viewers on May 9, marking the most-watched Big 12 Championship game on record

· ACC Championship:

o Virginia Tech vs. Florida State drew 589,000 viewers, ESPN's most-watched ACC Championship ever

Selection Sunday

· The NCAA Softball Selection Special Presented by Capital One finished up 27% year-over-year with an average of 327,000 viewers

· 7Innings Live Selection Special Presented by Capital One nearly doubled its viewership from the 2025 show (170,000 viewers)

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