Day 1 of the Combine, with on-field workouts in the late afternoon and primetime, averaged 322,000 viewersGETTY IMAGES
The NFL "more than doubled" its Day 1 TV viewership Thursday for the Combine, boasting a 119% overall increase from '19, according to Charles Robinson of YAHOO SPORTS. Day 1 of the Combine, which for the first year had on-field workouts moved to the late afternoon and primetime slots, saw a 322,000-viewer average for the "entirety of the prime-time slot" on NFL Network, and peaked at 507,000 viewers from 9:00-9:15pm ET on Thursday night. While an average of 322,000 viewers "isn’t a smash hit on a Thursday night in February, it represents precisely what the NFL wanted to see with this move: audience growth." Moving the Combine into primetime was a "beta-test of sorts -- and the results showed the kind of growth that will likely keep the combine scheduled in prime time." The "underlying theme in all this: NFL team owners are actively seeking ways to expand the product inside and outside of the season." At a time when pro football has "arguably peaked in the United States, the NFL is again searching for the things that have driven the league to new heights for over two decades: more television, more ratings, more showcasing of the product ... and in turn, more money." Thursday night’s numbers were "just another example of that" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/28).
