The 2020 NFL draft didn't take place in Paradise, Nevada as initially planned, but that didn't stop a record number in viewership.
On Friday, the NFL announced that over 15.6 million people tuned in to watch the first round of Thursday's draft, via ESPN.com. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been announcing the picks from his home through the ESPN broadcast.
This smashed the record of 12.4 million viewers for the 2014 draft, per ESPN.com, who also noted that Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati in Ohio had the three biggest rated markets. That was obviously thanks to Joe Burrow, whom the Bengals drafted with the first overall selection.
The NFL had to change up its draft plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The league has gone great lengths to try and enhance the television product - including the streaming of fans for every draft pick. Goodell has even encouraged the fans to maintain the tradition of booing him.
The ESPN broadcast has also showed live video streams of the players and their families, head coaches, general managers and other team personnel before, during and after the selections.
Though Paradise wasn't able to hold the 2020 draft as initially planned, Goodell announced that Las Vegas will host the event in 2022. Next year's draft is scheduled to take place in Cleveland.
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The 2020 NFL draft has been widely regarded as one of the deepest and most skilled in recent memory. While quarterbacks Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert commanded lots of the attention, No. 2 overall pick Chase Young (to Washingotn) has been labeled as a generational talent.
Aside from Young and the quarterbacks, this class is extremely deep in offensive tackles and wide receivers. There were a handful of draft shockers too, with the Green Bay Packers drafting Utah State quarterback Jordan Love despite owning a world-class quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
All in all, the NFL couldn't have put on a match better television product for the fans, and it showed with a record setting audience.
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