Shedeur Sanders' draft plummet drives massive TV ratings

Field Level Media|published: Mon 28th April, 12:07 2025

Apr 25, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; A graphic announcing Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ selection by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick is seen in the Draft Theater during the third day of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Tork Mason/USA Today Network via Imagn Images

Shedeur Sanders' dramatic drop contributed to a massive television ratings boost for the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Colorado quarterback, a projected top-five pick, eventually plummeted all the way to the fifth round.

Friday night's coverage of the second and third rounds averaged 7.4 million viewers, up 40 percent from 2024 according to Nielsen's fast national numbers.

That ranks second all-time for Day 2 draft coverage behind the 8.2 million viewers in 2020. The 2020 draft was an outlier, however, as it occurred amid the COVID-19 pandemic and was one of the few live sports telecasts in weeks.

Figures for the individual networks (ABC, ESPN2 and NFL Network) were not immediately available.

The 40-percent boost for Day 2 came after Thursday's first-round coverage saw an 11-percent jump over 2024.

The Cleveland Browns ended Sanders' long wait on Saturday, trading up to take the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year with the 144th overall pick.

The three-day draft drew 600,000 fans to Green Bay, second only to the 775,000 in downtown Detroit in 2024.

--Field Level Media

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