ESPN and NFL Network both will show the NFL Draft live starting April 30, and just like always, it will be the most watched spectacle of sports television that night.
Every year, reporters tweet out the draft picks before it’s announced on TV, to show off their exclusive reporting skills. But this year, the NFL is trying to put a stop to spoilers.
The NFL will not allow any NFL network or ESPN reporter to report the draft picks before they air them on television. However reporters like Jay Glazer and BSO reporters do not have to abide by those rules.
“We want to keep the suspense of the draft,” said ESPN senior coordinating producer Seth Markman, ESPN’s lead executive for the event. “This is purely listening to the viewers and what they want. It was overwhelming that our consumers, our viewers, our fans do not want us to spoil the draft experience. I know some of our competitors will tweet picks, but they are not telecasting the draft. I am sure there is a segment of the population that wants it as soon as possible, but our responsibility is to our viewers. It’s not some big journalism discussion in my mind. It’s ‘I don’t like angering our viewers’.”
It makes you wonder though, why would ESPN agree to this? The NFL Network is basically run by the NFL so I can understand them following the orders, but is ESPN that scared of the NFL to follow their PR orders?
Source: Deadspin
