NFL Draft Round 1 Shatters All-Time Draft Viewership Records
Round 1 coverage of the 2020 NFL Draft established new records for media consumption. An average audience of over 15.6 million viewers watched night one of the 2020 NFL Draft across ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, and digital channels easily breaking the previous high of 12.4 million viewers in 2014.
All seven rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft are being presented across ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network – the second straight year that The Walt Disney Company is working with the National Football League to offer a multi-network presentation of the Draft for all seven rounds.
The collaborative distribution approach across NFL Media and The Walt Disney Company helped grow the combined viewership by +37% over 2019 (11.4M). Last night’s television coverage peaked from 8:45 – 9 p.m. ET with 19.6 million viewers.
“The theme of hope is always prevalent in the NFL, especially with regard to the Draft,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “In 2020, that’s especially true, as we help honor healthcare workers, first responders, and others on the front lines of the battle with COVID-19 while giving our fans something to cheer about as we celebrate the next generation of NFL stars. We are thrilled so many people were able to join us last night and we thank them for helping support the Draft-A-Thon.”
Top-10 metered markets (across all networks): Columbus, Ohio (16.7), Cleveland (15.9), Cincinnati (15.6), Philadelphia (15.1), Kansas City (14.3), Jacksonville (14.1), Atlanta (14.0), Charlotte (13.1), Denver (12.8) and (tied) Nashville and Milwaukee (12.7).
In addition to the telecast of the 2020 NFL Draft, over seven million viewers watched in excess of 26 million minutes of “Draft-A-Thon LIVE,” a massive fundraising campaign aimed at raising much-needed funds for COVID-19 relief efforts. Draft-A-Thon LIVE is presented all three days of the 2020 NFL Draft and available through NFL digital properties across devices (phone, PC, tablet and connected TVs) as well as a number of digital platforms including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Reddit, TuneIn, Yahoo! Sports and more than 100 news websites via SendtoNews.
In addition to raising funds, Draft-A-Thon LIVE will pay tribute to healthcare workers, first responders, and others on the front lines of the battle with COVID-19.
To date, the NFL family has raised more than $85 million in COVID-19 relief.
Funds raised during Draft-A-Thon will help support six national nonprofit organizations and their respective COVID-19 relief efforts. Fans can donate at NFL.com/Relief.
At NFL.com/auction fans can bid on autographed NFL items and exclusive packages to support COVID-19 relief as well. The NFL does not retain any profits from the sale of these items or experiences. Charitable contributions are donated to the NFL’s nonprofit partners.
Viewership metrics reflect Nielsen Fast Nationals, Nielsen Fast Total Audience Estimates, and NFL digital measurement.
