After last year’s record performance, the NFL Draft sank back to earth on ESPN and NFL Network.
The 2015 NFL Draft averaged a 1.9 rating and 2.9 million viewers on ESPN, down 30% in ratings and 29% in viewership from last year (2.7, 4.1M), down 10% and 3%, respectively, from 2013 (2.1, 3.0M), and the network’s least watched draft since 2012 (2.9M). NFL Network’s three-day average was not immediately available.
On Friday, second and third coverage combined for roughly 3.2 million viewers across ESPN/ESPN2 and NFL Network — down 20% from last year (4.0M) and down 14% from 2013 (3.7M). ESPN and ESPN2 scored a 1.4 final rating and 2.1 million viewers, down 26% in both measures from last year (1.9, 2.8M), down 26% and 24%, respectively, from 2013 (1.9, 2.7M), and the networks’ lowest rated and least-watched Friday since the current scheduling format began in 2010.
NFL Network chipped in 1.1 million, down 7% from last year (1.2M) but up 14% from 2013 (973K).
The remaining rounds combined for 1.8 million across ESPN and NFL Network Saturday afternoon, down 30% from last year (2.6M) and down 18% from 2013 (2.2M). ESPN’s coverage drew a 0.9 final rating and 1.3 million viewers, down 40% in ratings and 34% in viewership from last year (1.5, 2.0M) and down 18% and 20%, respectively, from 2013 (1.1, 1.6M). NFL Network drew 542,000 viewers, down 17% from last year (650K) and down 11% from 2013 (611K).
As previously noted, Thursday’s opening round combined for 8.8 million viewers on ESPN (4.5, 7.0M) and NFL Network (1.8M) — down 29% from last year but still the second-largest audience ever for the draft.
(ESPN numbers from ESPN, NFL Network numbers from ShowBuzz Daily [1], [2])
