The NFL Draft will expand to a three-day extravaganza, with the first three rounds taking place in prime time.
USA Today reports that the 2010 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 PM ET. Thursday night coverage will include the first round only. Coverage of the second and third rounds will take place on Friday, April 23 at 6:30 PM ET.
The draft will conclude on Saturday, April 24, with coverage beginning at 10:00 AM.
This marks the third straight year that the NFL Draft has undergone a scheduling change. In 2008, the start of the Draft was pushed back from 12:00 PM ET to 3:00 PM ET. In 2009, the start was pushed back once again, this time from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
ESPN and NFL Network will continue to telecast the Draft.
The move will result in some scheduling changes for another major event taking place at the same time. The NBA Playoffs will more than likely be underway by April 22, and ESPN typically airs playoff games on Friday nights. Any NBA Playoff games on Friday, April 23, would likely air either on ESPN2 or fellow NBA television partner TNT.
The NFL will avoid a potential showdown with the Kentucky Derby. The NFL Draft had been on pace to start on Saturday, May 1, 2010, the same date as the ’10 Kentucky Derby.
Coverage of the first day of the 2009 NFL Draft averaged 5.1 million viewers on ESPN last April. The first round in particular averaged 6.3 million viewers across ESPN and NFL Network.
