This week, ESPN heads to Pittsburgh for its 47th consecutive year covering the NFL Draft.
Comprehensive coverage runs Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, April 25, across a record nine platforms, including ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.
Everyone plays a role in making this new milestone and ESPN’s industry-leading coverage of the league’s marquee offseason event possible.
Here are five things to know ahead of Thursday’s first round:
1. A record nine platforms: This year’s NFL Draft will be the most widely distributed in history. In addition to ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, the ESPN App, ESPN Radio and ESPN’s social media platforms, Disney+ and Hulu will stream the event for the first time.
2. History continues across ESPN & ABC: ESPN, for the 47th year, and ABC, for the eighth year, will once again bring fans all 257 picks from the NFL Draft. Both networks will feature signature voices, including Mike Greenberg, Mel Kiper Jr., Booger McFarland, Louis Riddick and Adam Schefter (ESPN), and Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Molly McGrath, Field Yates and Pete Thamel (ABC). Laura Rutledge will interview every prospect from the NFL Draft stage.
3. NFL Network joins the family: For the first time as part of the ESPN family, NFL Network presents its own distinct telecast in its 21st year of NFL Draft coverage, with Rich Eisen, Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Joel Klatt, Ian Rapoport and Kurt Warner.
4. Differentiated content: Thursday’s first round will feature five distinct telecasts, giving fans more ways than ever to follow every pick, including: The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular returns for the third consecutive year with McAfee, Darius Butler, Connor Campbell, Tone Digs, AJ Hawk, AQ Shipley and Ty Schmit, joined by Peter Schrager and Bill Cowher streaming all of Round 1 live across the ESPN App, TikTok, YouTube and X. Exclusive Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes with Eduardo Varela, Pablo Viruega, Ciro Procuna, Sebastián Martinez Christensen and Katia Castorena. In addition, ESPN and NFL Network reporters will be positioned at select team facilities, covering the clubs as they make their first-round pick.
5. 50+ hours of cross-platform programming: More than 50 hours of programming will originate from Pittsburgh across all three days. On-site studio programming will include expanded editions of NFL Live, College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, The Pat McAfee Show and SportsCenter on the ESPN front, alongside NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, NFL Draft Kickoff and NFL Gameday Final. Get Up, First Take and ABC’s Good Morning America will also feature live draft hits throughout the weekend.
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