Though ESPN suffered declines for its first round coverage of the NFL Draft, NFL Network’s telecast attracted a record number of viewers.
First round coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft earned a 0.7 U.S. rating and 1.044 million viewers on NFL Network Thursday night, flat in ratings but up 1% in viewership from last year (0.7, 1.031M).
This marks the most-viewed first round of the NFL Draft ever on NFL Network. According to a press release, viewership for the NFL Draft on NFL Network has tripled over the past four years.
Combined, NFL Network and ESPN averaged 7.0 million viewers for Thursday’s first round action, the second-largest audience ever for the event.
ESPN’s telecast earned 6.003 million viewers, down from the network’s coverage last year. For more details on ESPN’s numbers, click here.
(NFL Network via TV By the Numbers; additional information from TV By the Numbers)
