The first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday averaged 13.6 million viewers across television and digital platforms, according to the league and Nielsen. It was the “second-most watched first round on record.” It is an “11% increase over last year,” which averaged 12.3 million. The first-round record remains 15.5 million in 2020. The draft was televised on ESPN, NFL Network, ABC and ESPN Deportes as well as being available online (AP, 4/25).
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants the league to shorten the first round. Goodell appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday said, “I’m making it up, [but] seven minutes first round, but you can get two minutes extra. If you need it, you can call it, but then you don’t get it again the rest of the draft … you get one extension” (AWFUL ANNOUNCING, 4/25). The first round on Thursday ran nearly four hours, from 8pm to 11:43, when the Chiefs made the 32nd pick (N.Y. POST, 4/26).
