The NFL is American sports’ 800-pound gorilla, a juggernaut whose news cycle runs 12 months of the year and often supersedes other active leagues even during its offseason. MLB may not possess the power of the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, but it should still be feeling good about being able to flex its television muscle at whatever point the season returns. That’s because the ongoing NFL draft, which is taking place virtually, is smashing previous ratings records.
The opening round on Thursday averaged 15.6 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, and digital channels, a 37% jump from last year’s 11.