Say what you will about the NFL draft moving into May and the ripple effect of having two extra weeks to break down prospects, but after the overnight television ratings get used to this because it isn't going anywhere.
The NFL set out with a goal when they decided to move the draft into May and that was to make football a year round event. Between the Super Bowl, the combine, free agency and the draft the NFL has decided they want to control every month of the year. The NFL made the draft a three day event in the middle of primetime and after it’s success decided it would be better served against the NBA Playoffs, so how did it fair.
The NFL not only topped the two NBA games Thursday, but crushed them to the point that you wouldn't have been able to tell there was a game at all. The overnight ratings are in and it certainly isn't pretty for the NBA.
Overnights:
ESPN NFL Draft: 6.8
ESPN2 Blazers-Spurs 2.7
ESPN2 Heat-Nets: 2.6
NFL Net NFL Draft: 1.9
NBCSN Bos-Montreal 1.2
NBCSN Ana-LA: 0.7
Not only did the NFL conquer the NBA by almost three times their ratings, but the NFL Network’s secondary coverage of the draft topped the NHL playoffs. The NFL has established it’s dominance over other sports once again, but will they stop with this number in the first week of May? The NFL is rumored to be contemplating another move to make the draft a four day event even later in May despite the outcry of support for the draft to return to April.
The NFL smells blood in the water and the opportunity to dethrone the NBA in the middle of their playoffs could be too enticing a conquest to turn down.
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