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2018 NFL Draft Sets Record for Highest Rated and Most Watched Draft Ever


Maxman

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2018 NFL Draft Sets Record for Highest Rated and Most Watched Draft Ever

Combined Coverage Across NFL Network, FOX, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes Fuels 25% Growth in Ratings

An Average of Nearly 3 Million Viewers Tune in for Saturday Coverage Marking the Most Watched Day 3 in NFL Draft History

The 2018 NFL Draft is one for the record books. With a combined 3.57 HH rating and 5.5M viewers, the 2018 NFL Draft is officially the highest rated and most-watched Draft ever.

The 2018 NFL Draft was covered across NFL Network, FOX, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes and the broad distribution helped grow the combined rating and viewership by 25% and 20% respectively over 2017.

The expanded coverage of the 2018 NFL Draft marked the first time ever that the entirety of the live three-day event was aired on broadcast television.

The three-day event produced strong results from start to finish as Thursday's coverage of Round One resulted in a combined 7.0 HH rating (+27% y/y) and 11.2 million viewers (+22% y/y) making it the second most-watched watched Draft day ever, while Saturday's combined TV viewership resulted in an average of 2.9 million viewers making it the most watched Draft Day 3 ever.

 

2018 NFL Draft Round

Where Fans Watched

Round 1: Thursday, April 26 • 8:00 PM ET

NFL Network, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; NFL, FOX Sports and ESPN digital properties

Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 27 • 7:00 PM ET

NFL Network, FOX, ESPN/ESPN2; NFL, FOX Sports and ESPN digital properties

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 28 • Noon ET

NFL Network, ABC, ESPN; NFL and ESPN digital properties

 

*TV figures include ESPN and ESPN2 digital viewing which is measured by Nielsen but exclude FOX and NFL digital viewing

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Makes sense, one of the better drafts that I can remember, intrigue, feel good stories, for the most part it was not about the rich getting richer, struggling teams actually improved, The NY Jets found a FQB :)  

Great for the NFL if the QB's do well, there are 5-6 who could represent the next generation as Drew, Tom, Ben, Eli, etc. retire it should keep people watching 

Also moving the draft to different cities was long overdue and makes it more fun to watch

 

 

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7 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

New York market having two of the top three picks, too. 

Hit the nail on the head.^ That and 5 1st round grade QB’s is what produced these ratings. The overall talent kind of lacked and it was a very top heavy draft .. those QB’s is what really did it.

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I watched half the first round and nothing after that really.  Got pick news on my phone from JN.

Guess it's working out for the NFL, but the Thursday prime-time, Friday prime-time, Saturday thing must be pulling a hell of alot of casual viewers, because it's total sh*t compared to the National Holiday that was Draft Saturday the old way of doing it.

/shrug, shakes cane at clouds I guess.

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