Oklahoma vs. Texas averages 2 million viewers, becomes most-watched WCWS final on record

It was a historic night in Oklahoma City Thursday night as Oklahoma completed the first four-peat in NCAA softball history. The Sooners brought home their fourth consecutive Women’s College World Series title, defeating Texas 8-4 to complete the sweep.

It was also a huge night for ESPN, which drew record-breaking numbers for the final.

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The two games in the championship series averaged 2 million viewers, ESPN announced – including an average of 2.2 million for Thursday’s matchup. It became the most-watched final on record, including a 3% increase from the previous record set in 2015 when Florida defeated Michigan.

Game 1 of the championship series brought in 1.9 million viewers, ESPN announced, and that set up Game 2 with history on the line for Oklahoma. The game went directly against the NBA Finals on ABC, which averaged just under 11 million, according to Sports Media Watch.

It was a rematch of the 2022 WCWS when Oklahoma defeated rival Texas for its second straight title. Now, the Sooners have gone where no other softball team has gone by winning four in a row.

For coach Patty Gasso, the victory put her in the same breath as legends such as Geno Auriemma and John Wooden as college coaches to win four consecutive championships.

For ESPN, it was quite a way to cap off the 2024 softball season. The network announced big numbers for the regular season, including a 13% increase in viewership from last year en route to the most-watched year since 2015.

How Oklahoma made history with WCWS win

Entering the 2024 season, Oklahoma was one of two softball programs in history to win three straight titles, along with UCLA from 1988-90. But no team had ever pulled off four in a row – and it wasn’t easy for the Sooners to do it, either.

OU entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed behind Texas, which won the regular-season Red River Rivalry for the first time since 2009. The Sooners also had to play an elimination game against Florida on Tuesday, which went to extra innings.

But the bat of Jayda Coleman saved the day with a walk-off home run, and the left arm of Kelly Maxwell delivered a Game 1 victory. But Gasso didn’t want to throw her for a third consecutive day after 267 pitches over two games. That led to a “tag-team” approach with five pitchers throwing in Thursday’s game, setting a WCWS record.

In the end, it was Maxwell – the transfer from Oklahoma State – who sealed the deal after a rocky entrance in the sixth inning. Oklahoma officially entered a class of its own with its four-peat, and ESPN was able to capitalize.