NFL Draft Going Primetime?

ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft last Saturday finished as the second most watched in ESPN’s history. That means money in a network’s view. The NFL network, which simulcast the draft, averaged 367,000 viewers Saturday. Money in the bank!

So, apparently the NFL has had discussions about moving the first round into prime time on Friday night. This would increase the number of potential viewers and increase the amount in advertising revenue the league and networks could demand. Rock on capitalism!! Both the advertisers and those who would like to watch the draft win!!

Though I like to follow the NFL draft, I wonder how much advertisers are willing to spend on a program in which the highlight is watching the calling of names. Based on the numbers so far though, I’d imagine it’s a good bet the viewership will drive the profits.

One concern about moving the 1st round draft to primetime is how long it might take. Saturday’s 1st round took about 6 hours. That’s a lot of time in primetime. Problem is, NFL officials don’t necessarily like the idea of cutting down the current 15 minutes between picks.

It’ll be interesting to watch the dynamics of this situation. That’s one thing I love about capitalism. The balance required between market demand and the advertiser’s ability to influence the entertainment industry.

Stay tuned!