Record Number Of Fans Attended NFL’s Endless Draft For Some Reason

The NFL Draft is one of the most inexplicable events on the sports calendar, with massive ratings and a huge number of attendees camping out over three days to watch what is essentially a live press conference.

Reading a list of 32 names off of a sheet, which would take, at most roughly 90 seconds, is dragged, kicking and screaming, out to four hours of television coverage. It's a true test of stamina and a willingness to convince yourself that waiting two hours to see your team draft someone who will likely barely play for three years before being released is a valuable use of time.

Somehow, the same fans who believe that 90-minute long soccer games or 2 hour and 15 minute baseball games are "boring" are willing to sit through four hours, for several consecutive days, of the same repetitive analysis, painfully awkward interviews and mind-numbing commercial breaks while "the pick is in" flashes on the screen.

Regardless, the NFL has somehow convinced the sports public that this made-for-television press conference is worthy of not one, not two, but three days to get through seven rounds. Twelve hours of real world time to get through seven rounds. Incredible. And in 2024, the endless slog resulted in 700,000 in-person attendees, a new record. Who could have waited to see the list of draftees posted immediately on websites afterwards, which would take a few seconds to read. Incredible.

The crowd at the NFL draft's main stage on Saturday, April 27, 2024, third day of the event in downtown Detroit. Photo: Mandi Wright-USA TODAY NETWORK

NFL Draft Must Be Stopped

It's too late for this year's draft to be stopped, but given how successful college protesters are at getting campuses and events shut down, maybe we can convince some of them to protest in Green Bay next year. Maybe that way we can convince the league to cut it down to two hours per day? Or actually just get the entire thing done on one day? 

After all, as we hear how great this player is, or how well he'll fit into the team's scheme, or how his "length" and "wingspan" and "speed" will make him a star, the reality is that the hit rate on most first round draftees is unbelievably low. Not counting the lower rounds either.

It's a testament to the power of the NFL that the draft is this popular. But then again, maybe one day the league will realize that the average NFL game has roughly 11 minutes of action in it, or that 25 percent of NFL broadcasts are commercials, with 50 minutes of advertising spread out over 20 breaks.

Based on last year's ratings though, the answer is probably not.