First round of 2020 NFL Draft sets viewership record on ESPN

How many people tuned it to watch the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft?

Fans across the United States have been venting about how much they miss their sports for weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. We now possess some quantified statistics to support those claims.

The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft set a new TV viewer record Thursday night with 15.6 million viewers tuning into the event across the networks of ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, and ESPN Deportes. That total also includes the ESPN streaming services.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft draws 15.6 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes and digital channels. That's a new record. Coverage peaked from 8:45 – 9 p.m. ET with 19.6 million viewers.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 24, 2020

The previous record for the first round was set in 2014 with 12.4 million viewers. The 15.6 million viewership mark was a 37 percent increase from last year's 11.4 million people for the first round.

Thursday night, the viewers peaked between 8:45 and 9 pm ET at 19.8 million. Towards the end of that timeframe peak, the Miami Dolphins selected former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5 overall. 

It's important to note that due to the coronavirus pandemic, there isn't nearly as much competition as usual. Last year's draft had to compete against the NBA and NHL playoffs along with a typical Thursday night schedule on the broadcast networks for viewers. Because of the virus, there aren't very many new episodes of shows on television and other sports such as the NBA and NHL have suspended their seasons.

That left TV viewers Thursday night with fewer options besides the NFL's virtual draft.

Furthermore, the NFL draft first round this year was available on extra channels. It's usually not on ABC, which reportedly drew 6.14 million viewers Thursday night.

Still, the numbers suggest what most have been saying all week -- that America badly misses its sports. 

It will be interesting to see if the viewership numbers continue to say that the rest of the weekend. The 2020 NFL Draft will continue with the second and third rounds starting at 7 pm ET on Friday.