2019 NFL Draft watched by record 47.5M viewers
The NFL established a new TV viewership record for the draft in 2019, as more than 47.5 million people watched a portion of the three-day event in Nashville, Tenn., the league announced Monday.
ESPN, NFL Network, and - for the first time in the network's history - ABC aired coverage of the draft this year. Ratings increased five percent from 2018.
"The 2019 NFL Draft was a tremendous continuation of the celebration of the NFL's 100th season and an opportunity to welcome the next generation of stars," commissioner Roger Goodell stated. "Dramatic and emotional storylines played out in cities across the country with the energetic host city of Nashville serving as a breathtaking backdrop to hundreds of thousands of passionate fans who lined the streets and enjoyed a unique NFL draft experience. We congratulate our newest players and their families and thank the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., the City of Nashville, the volunteers, and everyone who made the draft such a memorable, entertaining, and successful experience."
A record 600,000 fans attended the draft from Thursday to Saturday. The event began with the Arizona Cardinals selecting quarterback Kyler Murray first overall and ended with the Cardinals taking tight end Caleb Wilson 254th.
Just In: ESPN says this year’s draft was the most watched & most attended draft in NFL history. 6.1M people tuned in on TV/digital, 600K fans attended. In total, all NFL Draft telecasts combined to reach more than 47.5M television viewers over the three-day event, up +5% vs. 2018 pic.twitter.com/s2WLkHbrZt
— Jess Golden (@JGolden5) April 29, 2019
The 2020 draft will take place in Paradise, Nev., ahead of the Oakland Raiders' inaugural season in Las Vegas.