ESPN Earns Record-Tying 3.1 Overnight For NBA Draft Coverage

ESPN drew a 3.1 overnight rating for the NBA Draft on Thursday night, matching last year’s record-setting figure for the network, which began airing the event in '03. The previous record was a 2.7 overnight for the '03 telecast, which featured a class of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. The 3.1 rating also is up 19% from the '13 Draft. Thursday's telecast peaked early in the first round from 8:00-8:15pm ET with a 4.2 rating.

Louisville led all markets with an 8.5 local rating, marking a record for the event in any market and up from a 7.1 last year, when it also led all markets. Philadelphia and Greensboro/Winston-Salem ranked second with a 5.0 local rating. That figure for Philly is the market’s best on record for the Draft. Indianapolis (4.7) and Raleigh-Durham (4.6) rounded out the top five.