NFL Draft posts record numbers for ESPN, NFL Media

Plenty of drama at the NFL Draft helped propel both ESPN and NFL Network to new records. ESPN’s presentation of the 2014 NFL Draft, spanning May 8-10, ranked as the network’s highest-rated NFL Draft telecast since 1993, according to Nielsen fast nationals. With over 15 hours of coverage on ESPN and ESPN2, the event drew a 2.7 US rating, for a 31% gain over last year. Meanwhile, average viewership hit 4,121,000 viewers for a 36% rise over 2013. Thursday’s first round averaged 9,943,000 viewers for the network with a 6.1 US rating based on fast nationals, making it the most-viewed NFL Draft telecast in ESPN’s 35 years of presenting the event.

NFL Media saw its own all-time highs for the first round of the draft, with NFL Network’s coverage averaging a 1.46 household score with 2.4 million viewers – both records for the network. Compared to 2013, NFL Network experienced a 54% spike in average rating and a 60%increase in average viewers.

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