A record combined total viewership of 45.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the 75th NFL Draft on NFL Network, ESPN and ESPN2 – up 16% from last year’s record of 39 million, according to Nielsen Media Research. Total NFL Draft viewership has nearly doubled over the past decade (from 23.5 million in 2001 to 45.4 million in 2010).

In addition, a record 32.9 million viewers watched for at least six minutes, up 23% from last year’s 26.8 million. (The 45.4 million total represents fans watching at least one minute of the Draft. This one-minute qualifier has been used for the Draft over the last decade).