Unknøwn Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 NEW YORK -- The NFL is making its already popular draft even more television-friendly, moving the first round to Thursday night. Next year's draft will switch from a two-day, weekend format to a three-day event with the opening round in prime time for the first time. The NFL said Thursday that the first round will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on April 22. The second and third rounds will start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, with the last four rounds beginning Saturday morning. "Moving the first round to prime time on Thursday night will make the first round of the draft available to fans on what is typically the most-watched night of television," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a release. The draft will continue to be televised by ESPN and NFL Network and held at Radio City Music Hall. Over the years, it has evolved from a mostly unnoticed affair to a major TV event. The draft took place on Saturday-Sunday from 1995-2009 and Sunday-Monday from 1988-94. Before that, it was held on one or two weekdays. A total of 39 million viewers watched the draft this year. The NFL said the first round lasted just under 3 1/2 hours in 2009, which would fit in neatly into a prime-time slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ya_boi_j Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Next thing ya know it's gonna be moved to Monday nights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dirty Bird Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 This seems like a recession-fighting move entirely. The draft does not need to be 3 days long, but the extra money they will get from selling more advertisements and commercials will be nice for Goodell and co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoTFan Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I'm glad its 3 days now. I hated having the secon day on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.