First round of NFL Draft attracts record rating

ESPN’s live telecast of the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft Thursday night – conducted for the first time in prime time – was the most-viewed first round in the network’s 31-year televising the event.

The ESPN telecast (7:30-11:20 p.m.) delivered a 5.3 household coverage rating and 7,290,000 viewers (based on fast nationals), according to Nielsen Media Research, 23 percent higher than last year’s first round (4.3). The telecast equaled the 5.3 rating from ESPN’s first round in 2006 and surpassed that year’s viewership mark of 5,925,000.

The telecast ranks as the fifth most-watched cable program of the year among households (5,273,000) and the eighth most-watched among viewers.

From 8-11 p.m. Thursday, ESPN averaged 7.7 million viewers, making it the second most-watched network of the night. ESPN won the night among all key male demos, adults 18-34 and adults 18-49. In addition, ESPN’s Draft telecast was the top program of the night among all key male demos.

Highest-Rated Markets for ESPN's Thursday night coverage (7:30-11:20 p.m.):

1. Jacksonville – 10.9


2. New Orleans – 10.8


3. Austin, Texas – 9.7


4. Cleveland – 9.2


5. Oklahoma City – 8.6

ESPN’s coverage continues with Rounds 2-3 tonight at 6 p.m. on ESPN (switches to ESPN2 at 7 p.m. through the conclusion of Round 3).  Day 3 will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. on ESPN with a one-hour SportsCenter Special: On the Clock followed by all seven hours (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) of Rounds 4-7 on ESPN.