- Two-thirds (66%) of NFL fans will watch a “Thanksgiving Eve” game
- Over half (52%) of NFL fans will watch the NFL Draft
- More than two in five (42%) NFL fans will follow pre-draft coverage
Despite already having a firm hold over America’s Thanksgiving celebrations, the NFL is looking to tighten their grip. The NFL is considering adding a game the night before Thanksgiving this season. The Seton Hall Sports Poll finds that two in three (65%) self-described NFL fans say they will watch a “Thanksgiving Eve” NFL game. Should the NFL follow through, 40 percent of Americans and 78 percent of self-described avid sports fans say they will watch.
“Give the NFL credit for claiming one of the last sports-free windows on the calendar,” said Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management and the Seton Hall Sports Poll at the Seton Hall Stillman School of Business. “With a sea of high school and college football throughout the Thanksgiving weekend, all data indicates Thanksgiving Wednesday will become the NFL kickoff to a deeply American holiday. You can be sure there are college and other pro sports leadership now considering that date too.”
The NFL is exploring adding a Thanksgiving Eve game (i.e., the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving) to the 2026 NFL schedule. Would you watch a Thanksgiving Eve NFL game?
These results are derived from a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted April 2nd through 9th among 1,601 U.S. adults. The Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute within Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business, features a nationally representative sample from YouGov Plc., weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for age, gender, ethnicity, education, income and geography with a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent.
NFL Draft Viewership
Considering how many would watch a potential NFL game, how many have plans to watch the upcoming NFL Draft on April 23rd-25th?
More than half of NFL fans (52%) plan to watch the 2026 NFL Draft. These percentages remain strong compared to the 2025 NFL Draft numbers (53%). Among all Americans, the number of people planning to watch sits solidly at 30 percent for both years while the number of avid sports fans who plan to watch rose from 70 percent to 75 percent.
“It’s amazing that the NFL can make even non-game, 3-day event a cultural phenomenon,” said Daniel Ladik, Ph.D., Methodologist of the Seton Hall Sports Poll and Associate Marketing Professor in the Stillman School of Business. “The NFL Draft is a vital way for fans to assess where their favorite team will be in fall and for the foreseeable future.”
Pre-Draft Behavior
There is a lot more to the Draft than just the actual event. More than two weeks leading up to the event in Pittsburgh, fans scour the internet for coverage on mock drafts, pick trades, and more. The Poll finds that more than two in five NFL fans (42%) follow this sort of coverage, while almost one in four Americans (24%) and two in three avid sports fans (66%) report the same behavior.
Alone or With Friends?
Despite viewership remaining strong since 2025, America’s plans for watching the NFL Draft have shifted—more people will be watching alone. The Poll reported in April 2025 that 14 percent of Americans, 23 percent of NFL fans, and 34 percent of avid sports fans planned to attend a draft party. April 2026 polling of the same questions finds those numbers significantly lower with only nine percent of Americans, 16 percent of NFL fans, and 26 percent of avid sports fans reporting plans with friends or relatives.
April 2026 Seton Hall Sports Poll Results
Daniel Ladik, Ph.D., Methodologist – daniel.ladik@shu.edu
This Poll was conducted April 2nd through April 9th and includes responses from 1,601 U.S. adults with a margin of error of +/- 3.0%. The sample mirrors the U.S. Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you?
*Note: Presented in each table, Avid + Casual = total sports fandom in the data. Some tables break out the Avid and Casual segments.
How interested, if at all, are you in each of the following? For each row, please select your level of interest.
Q2c.The National Football League (NFL)
The NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh April 23rd through April 25th.
Q15a. Do you plan on watching any part of the 2026 NFL Draft on TV or any streaming platforms? [April 2026]
Q5a. Do you plan on watching any part of the 2025 NFL Draft on TV or any streaming platforms? [April 2025]
Q15b. In the weeks leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, do you plan to follow coverage such as mock drafts, potential #1 picks, trades, your favorite team’s draft outlook, and/or more?
[April 2026]
Q5b. In the two weeks prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, were you following the sports coverage on topics like: mock drafts, who will go #1, trades, and who your favorite team may have on their draft board, or other draft coverage, in the sports media? [April 2025]
Q15c. Will you be attending a draft watch party either in-person or online with friends and/or relatives? [April 2026]
Q5c. Will you be attending a draft watch party? Either in-person or online with friends and/or relatives? [April 2025]
Q15d. The NFL is exploring adding a Thanksgiving Eve game (i.e., the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving) to the 2026 NFL schedule. Would you watch a Thanksgiving Eve NFL game?
