How to follow NFL draft on TV, online

It took nearly five decades for the NFL draft to become a televised affair.

From the first draft at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia in 1936, when names of picks were written on a blackboard and very little information was known about any of them, until 1979, the process was done behind-the-scenes.

Now the league’s annual event is a multimedia extravaganza across multiple channels and digital platforms. It’s nearly impossible to avoid.

And to think, then-commissioner Pete Rozelle scoffed at the notion viewers would be interested when ESPN first asked if it could start televising the event in 1980.

The network is still home for live coverage of all three days, starting with the first-round in prime time at 5 p.m. on Thursday. That’s followed by second and third round coverage on Friday at 4 p.m. and the final four rounds beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

All of that airtime is supplemented by online coverage on the ESPN website, but the network is no longer the exclusive home of the draft.

For the last several years, ESPN’s corporate broadcast partner ABC has also aired the three-day event live with a focus more on the personalities of the prospects. Spanish language coverage is also available through ESPN Deportes.

This year’s coverage won’t quite mark a return to normalcy, but there will be far more live interactions than the 2020 version that was almost entirely virtual in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fans will once again be present as the draft returns to a live stage in Cleveland after much of the broadcast last year originated from commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement.

One of the most anticipated moments, as silly as it sounds, may be the first hug between Goodell and a drafted player, a silly tradition that was missed last year.

It should happen with quarterback Zach Wilson, the expected No. 2 pick. He is expected to be in Cleveland while expected top pick Trevor Lawrence is not.

Somehow the league still managed to make the broadcast a success last year despite the challenges and some of the ideas will carry forward. Virtual participation will make even more players available as part of the live coverage.

The NFL Network and its digital properties kicked off a full 80 hours of coverage on Sunday and will continue right through the end of the draft and beyond.

In addition to studio coverage from on-location in Cleveland, NFL Network will have reporters stationed at 10 team facilities. Thursday’s live broadcast will start with red carpet coverage of the players’ arrivals at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

All of the NFL Network coverage will be available through the NFL app on smartphones and tablets as well as through NFL.com/watch on PCs.

Each day of the draft will conclude with “Draft Today” wrap-up show on the NFL app and YouTube, immediately following the conclusion of the picks.

NFL.com’s Draft Tracker will provide up-to-date selections and instant analysis.

Audio coverage of the draft will also be available on ESPN radio affiliates, including KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM) in Las Vegas, and syndicated through Westwood One.

SiriusXM will provide extensive coverage with live announcements of every pick and analysis on NFL Radio, followed by live call-in reaction shows on all three days. Draft-related coverage will also be provided on the college sports channels and Fantasy Sports Radio.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.