The NFL has turned its annual selection meeting into one of the biggest events in sports. The NFL Draft is watched by millions on television and attended by hundreds of thousands of fans in person. What once took place in a ballroom and theater has now become a traveling football carnival.
Every sports league tries to emulate the NFL. And why wouldn’t they? The NFL is the most popular sports and entertainment franchise in America. The league has turned every game into must-watch television and come to dominate the daily sports conversation on a 24/7/365 basis. It’s a juggernaut that is completely unmatched and unrivaled.
But in their quest to catch up with the NFL, there are some things that the other major sports leagues should just leave alone. And their respective drafts are one of them.
The NBA Draft and NHL Draft both occurred this week and while both events have gone out of their way to follow the NFL blueprint, both have shown that while imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it may not be what’s best for fans.
Let’s start with the NBA, which inexplicably has turned its two round draft into a two night event. While the NFL Draft has expanded to three days, NFL and college football fandom is deep enough and wide enough to justify the expansion. Fans and viewers still turn out and with 53 man rosters, there are still big names that fall far enough in the draft (and late draft picks that make an impact) that there is still enough drama and intrigue to build around.
That is far from true in the NBA where most second round picks never make it to a superstar level, the likes of Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson not withstanding. And let’s not go into why ESPN feels the need to have two NBA Draft broadcasts for night one, which is also totally unnecessary. It feels like the NBA only has two channels for draft coverage because that’s what the NFL does too. One thing they could borrow from the NFL is announcing pick and player trades ahead of time so we can finally put “hat situation” behind us forever.
Then there’s the NHL, which experimented with a “decentralized draft” this year to disastrous effect.
The first round was almost comical from a television and watchability standpoint. Gary Bettman kicked it off with a rallying speech that was a mystifying idea considering he’s been the least popular man in hockey for decades.
Gary Bettman likely put some viewers to sleep within the first few minutes of the NHL Draft coverage. #NHL #NHLDraft https://t.co/2aYGnIKlVd pic.twitter.com/gRgJkyzQpR
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 27, 2025
A never-ending line of celebrities was employed ranging from Nikki Glaser to Adam Sandler to Charles Barkley. The “draft house” produced one awkward moment after another. And the entire first round lasted longer than a five overtime playoff game.
The NHL “Draft House” experience is only getting worse. 🏒📺🎙️😬 #NHL #NHLDraft https://t.co/3PoH5rT4zb pic.twitter.com/lBR703SKNm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 28, 2025
It tried way too hard, it was way too much, and almost all of the innovations for this year’s NHL Draft should go the way of the glow puck.
It’s understandable that the NBA and the NHL would duplicate what they see the NFL makes successful. But there’s a reason why the NFL draws more viewers for the Super Bowl than pretty much every other major sports championship combined. The NFL does events like nobody else in sports. And it’s just fine if their competitors accept that and go back to something more resembling business as usual for their draft nights.