Witnessing the spectacle of robust athletes undergoing evaluations as they navigate an indoor field has proven to be a major attraction, drawing substantial audiences both on television and online during the NFL Scouting Combine. The league recently reported a significant viewership, stating that the four live windows of the Scouting Combine collectively reached an “unduplicated audience of over five million viewers” for the NFL Network.
The NFL Network’s four live NFL Combine sessions held last week, spanning Thursday through Sunday, marked an impressive 11% increase in viewership compared to the previous year. According to Sports Business Journal, the four live windows averaged 244,000 viewers, up from 219,000 in 2023. It’s noteworthy that the 2022 and 2021 figures included ABC or ESPN windows in the calculations.
The standout performer among the windows was the Saturday afternoon session, showcasing quarterbacks (QBs), wide receivers (WRs), and running backs (RBs), amassing a viewership of 390,000. As the adage goes, “Offense sells tickets,” and this surge of 390K viewers represents a noteworthy improvement over the previous year’s 329,000. However, it’s essential to consider the context, as the 2023 edition featured tight ends (TEs) running drills in that session instead of running backs. Nevertheless, running backs hold the distinction of being the second most high-profile and glamorous position, trailing only the quarterback in terms of prominence.