Fans who will be locked into the NFL Draft will have multiple watching options to choose from once again.
Will it be the same channels providing coverage of this year’s event? Here are the channels broadcasting the 2024 version.
Which Channels Will Air the 2024 NFL Draft?
Once again, the trio of ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network all share the rights to broadcast the annual league event.
As for the Disney-owned ABC and ESPN, the former will host a simulcast of the draft while the latter will conduct its 44th year of broadcasting the annual event. ESPN emerged as the first network to air the NFL Draft live in 1980 — which became one of the first live sporting events for the network. Since then, names like Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, and draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. have played a prominent role in coverage of the draft.
MORE: What Time is the NFL Draft?
Meanwhile, the NFL Network is nearing 20 seasons of airing the draft. The coverage officially launched in 2006, three years after the launch of the NFL Network. Rich Eisen continues to be a catalyst in the network’s draft coverage.
Former league Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl 34 winner Kurt Warner has provided his analysis of the draft next to Eisen. Peter Schrager of Good Morning Football, college football analyst Joe Klatt, and draft expert Daniel Jeremiah have comprised the draft’s broadcast team.
Outside of the cable and TV options, fans without access to a television screen have live-streaming options on their mobile devices.
Which Streaming Options Are Available for the NFL Draft?
Five different mobile options are available outside of watching the draft on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. Those outlets are YouTube TV, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and Plex.
YouTube TV officially entered the NFL landscape on Dec. 22, 2022. The popular video internet service became a part of the NFL’s agreement with Google to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket — now aired on YouTube TV.
Sling TV, meanwhile, allowed fans to watch the draft for free on any mobile device in April 2020. FuboTV once again becomes an option with a free trial to start for first-time users of the app.
Hulu + Live TV became a part of the NFL’s watching option lineup on April 20, 2021. The app also has a partnership with ESPN to host live sporting events, including the draft.
Plex recently partnered with the league and added the NFL Channel. This is the NFL’s 24/7 free linear FAST Channel, and it will feature nonstop coverage of the NFL Draft over the next three days. The NFL Channel is also available on Pluto TV and Roku among other live-streaming options.
What Times Are the NFL Draft Coverage?
Regardless of station, the draft will be aired at the same time on all three days through all three television networks. Here’s the details:
- Dates
Thursday, April 25 (Round 1)
Friday, April 26 (Rounds 2-3)
Saturday, April 27 (Rounds 4-7) - Start Times
Thursday, 8 p.m. ET
Friday, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Noon ET.
Saturday’s coverage will be the earliest start time for the NFL Draft. All three networks will launch their coverage around lunchtime for the final day of the three-day event.
Thursday and Friday will present a primetime feel once again. The league first decided to move the entire first round on Thursday in 2010. This decision helped launch the Thursday-Saturday format that fans have grown used to.
How Many Rounds Are in the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft consists of seven rounds. The first round will take place on Thursday, April 25. Rounds 2 and 3 will occur on Friday, April 26. Finally, Rounds 4-7 of the draft will transpire on Saturday, April 27.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will announce every pick of the first round live on stage in Detroit. A combination of NFL executives, former players, and other special guests will announce the subsequent rounds, although not all will be televised.
How Long Does Each Team Have To Pick?
Each team’s amount of time “on the clock” reduces as the draft proceeds. In the first round, each franchise receives 10 minutes to make their selection. That falls to seven minutes in Round 2, five in Rounds 3, 4, 5, and 6, and just four in Round 7.
NFL Draft rules are clear. If a team doesn’t make their pick or trade it before the clock expires, the next team in the order is officially on the clock. While they can still make their selection, it becomes a race to make the pick. If both teams want the same player, then whoever locks and sends their card up first owns the rights to said player.
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