Despite a later start time, a much faster pace and endless ESPN hype, the NFL failed to draft viewers on Saturday.
The NFL Draft drew a 3.5 overnight on ESPN, down 15% from last year, reports USA Today. The 3.5 overnight is the lowest for the Draft since 2003.
The lower ratings a product of lessening interest in the Draft. After all, this was not a marquee crop of college stars; there were few superstar, franchise-changing offensive players entering the league.
Perhaps ESPN’s decline be attributed to viewers being dissatisfied with its production. Several complaints have arisen regarding ESPN’s coverage of the Draft; the network missed picks because of commercials, and some viewers tired of forced arguments between analysts. Awful Announcing summed up ESPN’s performance thusly:
With that in mind, there is a possibility viewers either tuned out ESPN — and hence the Draft entirely — or simply decided to watch the NFL Network’s competing telecast. Ratings for the NFL Network broadcast are unavailable.
No matter what the reason, ratings for the NFL Draft have now dropped for two consecutive years. And while the Draft continues to draw big ratings on cable, interest appears to have peaked.
