Sports Ratings Highlights for Week of April 22-28: NFL Draft Edition
More evidence of the dominance of the NFL: the first round of the NFL Draft was seen by 7.7 million people across ESPN and NFL Network and drew a 3.6 18-49 rating. Only one show on broadcast drew more 18-49 viewers on Thursday: The Big Bang Theory. It did better than the Syracuse/Marquette Elite Eight game, all but one Sweet 16 game, and all but two or three games from the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend, and the only better audiences ESPN has attracted for event programming so far this calendar year have been for college bowl games. The NFL Draft, which once puzzled Pete Roselle why ESPN would even want to televise it, wouldn’t be out of place on a broadcast network. Even Friday’s second-round coverage attracted more viewers than all but one game of the NBA Playoffs on cable for the week, and its 1.6 18-49 rating beat all but two shows on broadcast – though it may have been boosted by the likes of Geno Smith, Manti Te’o, and Matt Barkley still being on the board. And late-round coverage on Saturday did better than an NBA Playoff game later in the night, and they couldn’t all be watching to see the first two days rehashed ad nauseam. (Note: For Friday and Saturday, I took a weighted average of coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 before adding the NFLN numbers.)
Numbers compiled from a variety of sources, including TV by the Numbers, The Futon Critic, Sports Media Watch, and Son of the Bronx.
| |
Vwr (mil)
|
HH
|
18-49
|
Time
|
Net
|
|
NFL Draft: Round 1 (combined)
|
7.721
|
5.0
|
3.6
|
4/25 8:00 PM
|
ESPN+
NFLN
|
|
NASCAR: Toyota Owners 400
|
6.1
|
3.7
|
|
4/27 7:30 PM
|
FOX
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Heat @ Bucks, Game 4
|
6
|
3.8
|
|
4/28 3:30 PM
|
ABC
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Knicks @ Celtics, Game 4
|
4.9
|
3.3
|
|
4/28 1:00 PM
|
ABC
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Lakers @ Spurs, Game 2
|
4.32
|
|
2.0
|
4/24 9:52 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3 (combined)
|
3.7
|
2.6
|
1.6
|
4/26 6:30 PM
|
ESPN/2
+NFLN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Spurs @ Lakers, Game 4
|
3.513
|
|
1.5
|
4/28 7:09 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Celtics @ Knicks, Game 2
|
3.377
|
|
1.4
|
4/23 8:09 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Thunder @ Rockets, Game 3
|
3.257
|
2.1
|
1.4
|
4/27 9:49 PM
|
ESPN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Nuggets @ Warriors, Game 4
|
3.196
|
|
1.4
|
4/28 9:35 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Grizzlies @ Clippers, Game 2
|
3.102
|
|
1.5
|
4/22 10:46 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Rockets @ Thunder, Game 2
|
3.055
|
|
1.3
|
4/24 7:09 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Bulls @ Nets, Game 2
|
2.988
|
|
1.3
|
4/22 8:09 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Knicks @ Celtics, Game 3
|
2.891
|
1.9
|
1.3
|
4/26 8:00 PM
|
ESPN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Spurs @ Lakers, Game 3
|
2.881
|
2.0
|
1.3
|
4/26 10:40 PM
|
ESPN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Warriors @ Nuggets, Game 2
|
2.869
|
|
1.4
|
4/23 10:46 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Clippers @ Grizzlies, Game 3
|
2.574
|
|
1.2
|
4/25 9:46 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7 (combined)
|
2.221
|
1.5
|
|
4/27 12:00 PM
|
ESPN/2
+NFLN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Heat @ Bucks, Game 3
|
2.127
|
|
0.8
|
4/25 7:09 PM
|
TNT
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Pacers @ Hawks, Game 3
|
1.966
|
1.3
|
0.8
|
4/27 6:59 PM
|
ESPN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Nuggets @ Warriors, Game 3
|
1.392
|
1.0
|
1.3
|
4/26 10:30 PM
|
ESPN2
|
|
UFC 159 Prelims
|
1.382
|
|
0.8
|
4/27 8:00 PM
|
FX
|
|
30 for 30: Elway to Marino
|
1.059
|
0.7
|
0.6
|
4/23 8:00 PM
|
ESPN
|
|
NBA Playoffs, First Round:
Bucks @ Heat, Game 2
|
0.764
|
0.5
|
|
4/23 7:30 PM
|
NBATV
|
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