The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and viewership numbers for the weekend are starting to come in.
According to the NFL, the first round on Thursday night saw an increase in viewership year over year. An average audience of 11.4 million tuned in for the first round across ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network.
That figure was an 11% increase versus the first round of the 2022 draft. But it was slightly lower than the 12.52 million for the 2021 draft. The 2020 draft, which was conducted remotely due to the COVID pandemic, averaged 15.27 million in round one. It should be noted that in 2020, the NFL Draft was one of the first live sporting events after shutdowns and quarantines began in the United States.
Viewership in 2023 for ABC was up 8%, on ESPN it was up 26%. NFL Network’s viewership saw a decrease. An average of 1.6 million on Thursday night was 12% lower than the year before.
But overall, the draft won out as the most-watched program on TV on Thursday, beating out Young Sheldon on CBS.
