ESPN's First Round NFL Draft Viewership Up 11%

Second-highest draft telecast in network history; NFL Network improves on own record by 40%

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/27/2012 5:32:40 PM

ESPN's coverage of the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft on Thursday averaged 6.7 million viewers, an increase of 11% over last year, making it the second most-watched draft telecast in network history.

In addition, the telecast drew a 5.1 HH rating, up 16%, which also ranked as the second highest-rated telecast for ESPN. NFL content across ESPN digital platforms generated an average minute audience of 84,000, up 11 % compared to the same day last year.

ESPN's coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft continues through the weekend with rounds 2-3 on Friday and 4-7 on Saturday.

The league-run NFL Network drew a record average of 1.4 million viewers for its coverage of the first round, a 40% increase on last-year's most-watched telecast.