Fans Boost Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft to Third Most-Watched Ever

Fans fueled Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft to its third most-watched audience ever, averaging 13.2 million viewers across linear and digital platforms.

What's Happening:

• Coverage of Round 1 on Thursday, April 23 spanned ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, NFL+, YouTube, TikTok and X.
• The 2026 broadcast ranks as the second most-watched Round 1 since 2020, trailing only the record-setting 2025 NFL Draft, while viewership increased 8% compared to Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
• The seventh edition of The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular generated:
  • More than 54 million total minutes consumed
  • 2.2 million total views across YouTube, TikTok, X and the ESPN App on Day 1
• The strong audience numbers add to a broader slate of milestones for the 2026 NFL Draft.
• Pittsburgh hosted a record-breaking 805,000 attendees across all three days, including a single-day record of 320,000 fans on Thursday for Round 1.
• In its first year as the NFL’s Draft retail partner, Fanatics helped set a new merchandise sales record during Draft weekend, surpassing the previous record set in Green Bay in 2025.

More ESPN News:

• Phineas and Ferb are getting hockey fans excited for the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoffs with a fun tie-in ad.
• ESPN continues its countdown to Super Bowl LXI with a fun new ad featuring ESPN personalities and mascot App-E.
• ESPN's lead-up series for Super Bowl LXI in 2027, The Biggest Game, has officially launched this week on YouTube.
• A new spinoff of Jeopardy! is on the way in the form of ESPN Jeopardy!, coming to Hulu and Disney+.