Every guy I know likes watching the NFL draft, so it made sense to move the first two rounds to prime time. It worked out pretty well.
NEW YORK — ESPN broadcast of the NFL draft has drawn the most viewers ever.
With the first two rounds held in prime time for the first time, ESPN’s three-day telecast had 3.7 million viewers, up 27 percent from 2009. It also attracted 2.85 million households, second most in draft history and up 24 percent from last year, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The most households to watch a draft on ESPN came in 2006, when 2,000 more homes than this year tuned in.
I imagine it’s only going to get bigger and more involved from this point out. The point remains, whether it’s the NFL or a mock fantasy league, people go bananas over drafts. Guys used to want to grow up to be athletes or rock stars, but now being a general manager for a pro sports team seems to be up there as a top dream job, too.
I prefer the new prime time format, but it also ensures that I’m not going to watch from the third round on. When it was all in one shot, the inertia of laziness could keep me around for a few rounds, but now there’s no way I jump back in after the first two rounds. Isn’t the draft easier to follow online, anyway? I guess people still like seeing Mel Kiper.
