The NFL wins again.
The opening round of the draft averaged 12.52 million viewers across ESPN, ABC and NFL Network Thursday night, according to SportsMediaWatch. It was the second-largest audience in the history of the event.
Notably, the draft outdrew the Academy Awards for presumably the first time ever. Only 10.4 million people tuned into the Oscars last Sunday — an all-time low.
The NFL continues to be adverse from the ratings decline taking place across TV, with millions of Americans cutting the cord and opting to watch streaming services. Last year’s draft was the highest-rated ever, with 15.26 million people tuning in to watch Roger Goodell announce picks from his basement. At the time, the massive audience was largely attributed to the lack of alternative programming, with every other sport on hiatus due to COVID-19.
However, when the games restarted, audiences didn’t come back: the NBA Finals were down 48 percent; the Stanley Cup Finals fell 61 percent; and the 2020 World Series was the least-watched on record.
While Super Bowl ratings hit a 15-year low, more than 91 million people still tuned in to watch the Buccaneers defeat the Chiefs. It will surely be the most-watched television event of 2021. Overall, NFL games accounted for 69 of the top 100 most-watched TV broadcasts last year.
Thursday was just the third time that the NFL Draft craved the 12 million viewer mark. The first time was 2014, when Johnny Manziel fell to the Browns.