Round 1 of 2020 NFL Draft sets all-time viewership record

The opening night of the 2020 NFL Draft set a viewership record, the league announced Friday.

An average audience of over 15.6 million viewers watched Thursday's coverage of Round 1 across ABC, ESPN, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, and digital channels. That marks a 37% increase from last season's 11.4 million viewers and breaks the previous all-time record of 12.4 million viewers in 2014.

The top five markets were Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Kansas City.

Viewership peaked at 19.6 million people between 8:45-9 p.m. ET.

In addition to the telecast of the 2020 NFL Draft, over 7 million viewers watched "Draft-A-Thon LIVE," a fundraiser supporting COVID-19 relief efforts.

"The theme of hope is always prevalent in the NFL, especially with regard to the draft," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "In 2020, that's especially true, as we help honor health care workers, first responders, and others on the front lines of the battle with COVID-19 while giving our fans something to cheer about as we celebrate the next generation of NFL stars."

The 2020 draft was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, but those plans were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league is hosting the draft virtually instead. Goodell announced Thursday that the Las Vegas Raiders will host the draft in 2022.