"We try our best to respect the game and showcase and display it in a fashion that might be a little bit more appetizing for a different group of people that are watching alongside the best play commentators on Earth."
The reported viewership success across the NFL Draft coverage and studio programs comes after ESPN registered its strongest first-quarter viewership since 2017.
"Podcasts are a very intimate thing. It's an intimate one-to-one relationship with the listener. It makes sense to lean so heavily on the talent when you're marketing and presenting it.:
"ESPN will deliver a total of 13 NFL Draft-related programs and 10 First Draft podcast episodes over the next month, all leading up to draft night in Green Bay on April 24"
Hawkins will be a mainstay on NFL Live on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 4 PM ET, and will also work on Get Up, hosted by Mike Greenberg, on Wednesdays.
"We look forward to honoring the content that moved audiences in 2026 and continuing the Gracies’ long-standing investment in the people who will shape what comes next.”