NFL Draft ratings: First round breaks records
Thursday’s first round of the 2017 NFL Draft delivered strong numbers for both ESPN and the NFL Network.
After a week of layoffs for ESPN and a season of declined television ratings for the NFL, the first round of NFL Draft TV ratings were welcome news for both parties.
According to a press release from ESPN, the total audience for its broadcast on Thursday night was 6.924 million. Sports Media Watch says that the NFL Network contributed just under three million additional viewers. That brings the total viewership on both networks for the event to 9.2 million.
The 5.5 rating was an increase of six percent from 2016, while the total audience was an 11 percent uptick from last year. The 9.2 million is the second-largest audience for the event’s first round since the first round moved to Thursday night for the 2010 NFL Draft. It’s also the highest since 2014’s 12.4 million.
While the overall numbers were up from 2016, the NFL Network was a bigger benefactor than ESPN. The NFL Network’s rating went up 23 percent from 2016, while the viewership was a 24 percent uptick. The 27 percent of the total audience that watched the NFL Network’s broadcast as opposed to ESPN was the highest market share for the NFL Network yet.
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Television ratings do not include how many people watched the event via WatchESPN or the NFL’s online platforms. They do tell us, however, which cities were most tuned in.
For the ESPN broadcast, Cleveland retained its title of heaviest audience. The 12.6 rating in Cleveland edged out the 9.1 rating for the event’s host city, Philadelphia. ESPN says that 9.1 is the largest such figure for the draft since 2009 in Philadelphia’s TV market, however. Columbus, Ohio registered a 9.0 while Greenville, South Carolina produced an 8.7.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears final grade
Given the general ratings decline in 2016, it may not be that difficult for the NFL to continue to post improvements from last season for many events as the league’s calendar continues forward.