2012 NFL Draft 1st Round Most Watched Ever

First-round coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft drew a combined total viewership of 25.3 million viewers on ESPN and NFL Network, according to The Nielsen Company.

The networks posted a record combined average rating of 5.28 - an 18 percent increase over last year's first round (4.46 average rating).

The combined two-network average of 8.1 million viewers is up 16 percent from last year (7.0 million) and ranks as the second-most-watched first round ever (8.3 million in 2010).

NFL Network's first-round coverage drew a record average of 1.4 million viewers - a 40 percent jump over last year's previous record (1.0 million viewers).

The NFL's digital media platforms -- including NFL.com, NFL Mobile Only From Verizon and other NFL mobile products -- set a record with its first-round draft coverage as unique visitors jumped 53 percent compared to last year (and 41 percent increase over 2010).