NFL Draft Outdraws NBA Finals, Oscars

12.52 million viewers tuned in Thursday for the first round of the NFL Draft. The average combines viewing on ESPN (6.48 million), ABC (4.19 million), and NFL Network (1.85 million).

The draft did not reach last year's 15.6 million viewers, to which it was never going. The 2020 Draft set a record-high as the first major sports-related event in the early days of the pandemic when Americans were stuck at home. That said, Thursday night was undoubtedly a win for the NFL. 12.52 million is the second-highest average in draft history.

While all TV programs are declining, it's only those that aggressively spread woke social justice messaging that are collapsing. Today's numbers are more proof of that.

For context, the draft rather easily topped both the Oscars (9.85 million viewers) and this year's NBA Finals (7.45 million), both of which tanked to unimaginable lows.

To the credit of the NFL, ESPN, and NFL Network -- the draft, at least in the first round, was about one thing: football. The country needed that, the NFL Draft provided that.

Other ratings for the night include 144,000 for the Nets-Pacers on NBA TV; 3 million for Tucker Carlson Tonight, highlighted by an interview with Rudy Giuliani; the Rachel Maddow Show's 2.6 million; and Young Sheldon's 7.34 million on CBS.

For more draft coverage, read OutKick's recap and Day 1 winners and losers now.