ESPN’s three-day live telecast of the 2012 NFL Draft (April 26-28), averaged 2,924,000 viewers with a 2.0 US rating based on fast nationals, according to the Nielsen Company. The rating represents a slight increase from the same three days in 2011 (1.9 US rating), while viewership edged last year’s 2,918,000 average. Friday night’s four hours in prime time (rounds 2 and 3) averaged 2,679,000 viewers on ESPN with a 2.1 household coverage rating (1.9 US rating) based on fast nationals. The rating was up 19 percent while viewership gained 12 percent versus the same night last year (1.6 US rating with 2,386,000 viewers). Saturday’s day-long presentation (rounds 4-7) on ESPN/ESPN2 averaged 1,437,000 viewers with a 1.1 US rating based on fast nationals. ESPN’s prime time coverage of Round 1 on Thursday night was the network’s second most-viewed and second highest-rated draft. ESPN’s Round 1 ratings release.
The top 10 metered markets for the combined three days of ESPN coverage included: Cleveland (5.0 rating), Dayton, Ohio (4.3), Birmingham, Ala., (3.9), Milwaukee (3.6), Kansas City (3.6), New Orleans (3.4), Jacksonville, Fla., (3.3), Columbus, Ohio (3.3), Charlotte, N.C., (3.2) and Cincinnati (3.2).
During the three days of the draft, NFL content on ESPN’s digital platforms (ESPN.com, Mobile Web, ScoreCenter, and WatchESPN) generated an average minute audience of 78,000, a 10 percent increase from last year. The NFL section on ESPN.com specifically had an average minute audience of 25,000, a two percent gain from last year. Meanwhile, the NFL section on the mobile web had an average minute audience of 20,000, a 32 percent increase.
