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ESPN, NFL Network battle for Draft viewership

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Never forget that the NFL draft is a television show at its core, a non-event that has morphed into a mega-event every April. How big has the Goodellapalooza become? Last year, ESPN and the NFL Network combined for an average of 8.1 million viewers for its opening-round coverage, an increase of 16 percent from the previous year and the second-most-watched first round ever. (To wit: Those numbers would top last year’s NBA Western Conference finals between the Thunder and the Spurs, which averaged 7.82 million viewers on TNT.) It is, as Joe Biden might say, a big freaking deal.

While ESPN and NFL Network will compete fiercely for audience this week, they have once again come together for a gentleman’s agreement on the subject of tipping draft picks. Both networks have pledged not to show images of players on the phone in the green room at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to that, both networks tell SI.com that they will tell staffers not to report pick-by-pick selections on their Twitter feeds prior to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the picks on the podium. The Twitter edict will extend into the second round of the draft. Teams have 10 minutes to pick in the first round, seven minutes in the second round and five minutes for the rest of the draft.

Full Story: ESPN, NFL Network unveil NFL draft plans