It’s easy to get frustrated when ESPN focuses so much attention on so few star athletes. But one of the reasons that they do is because of you, the American sports fan. When ESPN talks about stars, you watch and ratings go up. Way up.

Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft is the perfect example. As the night evolved, it quickly became The Johnny Football Show as he slid all the way down to #22 where the Cleveland Browns finally traded up to get him. Viewers were certainly captivated by the drama as ESPN recorded a record overnight rating for the first round of the event.

JUST IN: HUGE 6.8 overnight rating for ESPN’s #NFLDraft Rd 1, highest-rated 1st Rd coverage ever on ESPN (records go back to '98). — bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) May 9, 2014

We can only hope that the NFL doesn’t see this rating and make the May draft a permanent thing because I don’t know if I can survive another draft cycle like this one.

Also, I hope that number isn’t just due to JFF, but to some of the other intriguing storylines that were present throughout the evening. That was a really exciting, interesting first round outside Pick #22. Several trades were made, other stars like Teddy Bridgewater fell, and Jacksonville’s selection of Blake Bortles was a surprise too. Let’s not kid ourselves though, that number is thanks to one man.

I’m sure ESPN executives were doing this celebration all night long…

UPDATE: NFL Network drew a 1.9 overnight rating, besting NHL coverage but falling well short of ESPN’s number and NBA Playoff action. The total NFL Draft rating was up a monstrous 50% versus last year.

Overnights:

ESPN NFL Draft: 6.8

ESPN2 Blazers-Spurs 2.7

ESPN2 Heat-Nets: 2.6

NFL Net NFL Draft: 1.9

NBCSN Bos-Montreal 1.2

NBCSN Ana-LA: 0.7 — John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) May 9, 2014