The 2018 NFL Draft was the most watched ever, the league announced Sunday.
The NFL said that the three-day draft had an average viewership of 5.5 million at any given time. It was the first time the draft was televised on network television.
Thursday’s first round averaged 11.2 million before declining on each of the next two days. Saturday’s coverage of rounds four through seven drew an average of 2.9 million viewers, the best Day 3 ever.
NFL Network’s coverage on Thursday and Friday nights were simulcast on FOX, while Saturday’s coverage by ESPN was simulcast on ABC in most markets.
TV viewership of NFL games has declined the last two seasons.