New Orleans topped all local markets for the three days of NFL Draft coverage across NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN2 this year. Cleveland-Akron, which was the top market during last year's Draft, dropped out of the top 10 this year. While Dayton kept its rank in the top 10, Birmingham ranked as the highest-rated non-NFL market for '13 Draft coverage. Last season, Indianapolis, with the Colts having the No. 1 pick, ranked as the 10th highest-rated market. K.C., which had the No.1 pick this year, finished as the No. 4 market this year. Listed below are the top 10 local markets for ESPN and NFL Network's three-day coverage of the NFL Draft, with comparisons to how those markets performed in recent years.
|
TOP LOCAL MARKETS FOR NFL DRAFT ON ESPN/NFL NETWORK
(THREE-DAY AVERAGE)
|
|
RANK
|
MARKET |
'13
|
'12
|
'11
|
|
1
|
New Orleans |
6.2
|
4.7
|
3.6
|
|
2
|
Birmingham* |
5.4
|
4.7
|
n/a
|
|
3
|
Buffalo |
5.2
|
4.1
|
3.8
|
|
4
|
K.C. |
5.1
|
4.2
|
3.3
|
|
5
|
Dayton |
4.7
|
5.5
|
3.3
|
|
6
|
Baltimore |
4.6
|
4.6
|
2.9
|
|
7
|
Pittsburgh |
4.5
|
3.7
|
2.8
|
|
8
|
Milwaukee |
4.5
|
5.0
|
3.6
|
|
9
|
Nashville |
4.4
|
3.6
|
2.4
|
|
10
|
Jacksonville |
4.3
|
4.3
|
3.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE: Figures for Birmingham from '11 unavailable since market was recovering from effects of a tornado.
