The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh didn't only draw a huge crowd in person, with a record-setting 805,000 people in attendance over the three days, but it also drew a large television audience.
Round 1 of the NFL Draft was the third most-watched audience ever, averaging 13.2 million viewers on all linear and digital platforms. Those platforms included ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App, NFL+, YouTube, TikTok and X.
Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft ranked only behind the 2020 NFL Draft and 2025 NFL Draft for viewership.
The crowd in Pittsburgh for Round 1 was a record-setting 320,000 people.
In addition, fans were also tuned in to watch The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular, with the Pittsburgh-area native featuring multiple Steelers guests during his broadcast. The show had more than 54 million total minutes consumed across YouTube, TikTok, X and the ESPN App on Day 1, along with 2.2 million total views.
