No one can go outside. There are no sports events on television and there is nothing on the horizon. The country is essentially staying at home and there are only so many things to watch on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or the streaming app of your choice. There is one respite, one light at the end of the tunnel, one major sporting event that gets great ratings and will absolutely dominate the sports landscape for the next month: the 2020 NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft in 2019 set viewership ratings. It moved to ABC so it got the broadcast bump. It was also available across digital partners such as ESPN+. It was televised on ESPN and NFL Network for folks who wanted to watch on cable. The final numbers were great for the league. Over 47.5 million viewers watched over three days. The draft averaged 6.1 million people watching during the entire span of the draft and garnered a 3.9 household rating. Remember, this is to watch names get called and players walk across a stage. It also has fewer people watching as the draft moves along its seven-round journey.

This year, the NFL Draft is going to do even better. It’s an unfortunate situation, but the current social distancing recommendations, stay at home orders and advisory, and shutdown of bars, restaurants, and other activities mean people will be stuck at home. The draft just so happens to be scheduled at the end of April. Everything will still be locked down at that point.

That’s why it’s smart for the NFL to keep the draft scheduled for when it is scheduled. It will be the only event on television. It doesn’t require large amounts of people to be in the same place. The draft can be held via phone and digital connections. It’s an easy win for Roger Goodell and the NFL and it also provides sports fans with some type of outlet that’s not old games. Think about it. Fox just aired the Patriots-Falcons Super Bowl. Television partners are desperate for real content.

The winners here will be ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. They get the one event everyone will tune into. Advertising partners should be chomping at the bit to try and pay extra for more exposure. It would be the best use of their advertising budgets that are surely shrinking right now due to the financial situation most companies are going through.

So expect huge numbers. Teams may be put at a disadvantage not being able to meet with players or get in-depth physicals, but the league as a whole will benefit. The 2020 NFL Draft is the only event on the horizon and the NFL will own the sports world more than it usually does come the end of April.