PFT: Draft Could Be Moving To Three Days, Prime Time

[WoodysGirl]

39 Million Watched The Draft
Posted by Mike Florio on April 28, 2009, 3:48 p.m.

As we explore various possibilities for the future growth of the site, we’ve been trying to figure out the ceiling on our potential audience, which currently stands at more than 1.5 million visitors per month.

We think we’ve now found a reasonable ultimate goal: 39 million.

According to the NFL, a total of 39 million people watched all or part of the 2009 draft on NFL Network, ESPN, and/or ESPN2.

Since 2001, the audience has grown by 15.5 million, from 23.5 million.

So, basically, we’re gonna need a bigger boat. And more hamsters.

 

[31smackdown]

I'll agree that the draft was much better when it started earlier and has 3 rounds in the first day. 1 round is too short.. just when things are heating up, going faster and players are slipping and teams are trying to move down and up you stop the whole thing for a day. Then just like this year some team will trade up to the number one spot in round two, like they did this year for round 3 and like they used to do for round 4. It takes too much of the on the fly jockeying out of it, which is half the fun and skill. I don't understand why they think putting it on primetime would draw more viewers..people already devote their whole saturday and weekends to it. The draft is not for the casual fan and I don't see any way that it could ever be interesting to the casual fan no matter when it's on or what sideshow they have. Honestly, it still amazes me that each team has 5 minutes to pick but the shows covering the draft can't spend one or two minutes of that time on the guy that just got picked because of commercials or random bs'ing. They wait spend like 2 minutes every 20 minutes telling you their names and what position they play like we couldn't read that much.

 

[jackrussell]

I was listening to a local radio show and they had some former NFL players on and not one of them had any interest in watching the draft over the weekend...Unanimously ripped how the NFL has turned it into a sideshow...Can't say I disagree

A sideshow? In the NFL?

Incredible!