This year’s NFL Draft is a historic one, as in 2020 the league’s annual college player selection will be held virtually for the first ever. That doesn’t diminish its appeal, though, so here’s how to watch the NFL Draft for free – live stream the first round tonight from anywhere as your favorite team makes its big pick.
NFL Draft 2020: start time and dates
The NFL Draft 2020 takes place April 23-25, with first round action starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT Thursday in the US. It’s being shown on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network – and also through Sling TV’s FREE Happy Hour promotion. The UK NFL Draft start time is 1am BST early Friday morning.
The 2020 NFL Draft was supposed to take place under the bright lights of Las Vegas and herald not only a new rookie class but the arrival of the league’s newest team – the Las Vegas Raiders, recently imported from Oakland.
Now, it will see NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announcing picks from his basement – we probably don’t need to tell you this is because of the coronavirus pandemic?
Nevertheless, fans are still getting three full days of draft action, with more than 250 collegiate athletes set to realize their dreams and make the leap to the NFL. And despite the new virtual setup, the NFL Draft’s format remains unchanged, with round one taking place on Thursday April 25; rounds two and three on Friday; and rounds four to seven on Saturday.
Whoever you root for on Sundays, we’re sure you’re as excited as we are to see how the 2020 rookie class shapes up over the next few days, so here’s how to live stream the NFL Draft online and watch round 1 no matter you are right now.
NFL Draft live stream: watch the first round online for free in the US
If you live in the US and own a TV, then you have plenty of options to watch this year’s draft. Starting at 8pm ET tonight, the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is being shown on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network – plus ESPN Deportes for anyone who prefers Spanish language coverage.
All three channels offer an online streaming option and have apps that are compatible with a wide range of devices:
However, to make use of these you’ll need to create an account and log-in with details of your cable provider – which poses an obvious problem if don’t have cable.
This is where over-the-top streaming services come into their own, and the best deal right now is Sling TV’s Happy Hour offer, which lets you live stream the 2020 NFL Draft completely for free via the NFL Network.
After that, you could consider the Hulu + Live TV package, which gets you access to both ESPN and ABC, so you have two options for 2020 draft coverage. While it’s the most premium of Hulu’s offerings and normally costs $54.99 a month, there’s currently a FREE 1-week trial promotion – so you can watch the entire NFL Draft for free!
How to watch an NFL Draft live stream from outside your country
If you’re eager to watch the NFL Draft but find yourself abroad, you may find that access to the streaming service you normally use and pay for at home is unavailable due to geo-blocking.
This is annoying, for sure, but the good news is there’s a readily available solution in the form of a VPN. This handy software changes your IP address to one back home, so you can access the 2020 NFL Draft live stream of your choice from anywhere in the world and watch the first round picks just like you normally would.
There are hundreds of VPNs you can purchase online, but based on our extensive testing we’d recommend ExpressVPN. It’s quick, safe, and easy to setup. Plus, it’s compatible with a whole host of devices, including Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, the Xbox, PlayStation, and both iOS and Android software.
With a flexible 30-day money back guarantee too, ExpressVPN is particularly enticing. But, even better is that if you purchase an annual plan you get a 49% discount and 3 months extra FREE – a brilliant deal for an increasingly indispensable bit of kit.
Once installed, just find the location of your home country or select it from the pre-defined list, and then click connect. You can then watch an NFL Draft live stream from wherever you normally would tonight.
Watch the NFL Draft: UK live stream and start time
American football fans in the UK can watch all the first round NFL Draft action on Sky Sports. Coverage begins at 10pm BST on Sky Sports Action, with round one getting underway at 1am on Friday morning – when Sky Sports Main Event will also be joining the party. Got Sky Sports? Then you can also make use of the Sky Go app to stream on a wide range of devices.
Anyone without a full-fat Sky subscription need not worry, as Sky Sports is also available contract-free on Now TV. The great value streaming service offers a range of Sky Sports passes, but the one you want to watch the NFL Draft 2020 in its entirety is the Sky Sports Week Pass. It costs just £14.99, so about the price of two fancy IPAs when you were still allowed to go to pretentious craft beer bars.
And remember, UK residents who would normally live stream the NFL Draft at home but find themselves abroad can use a VPN to access the services they normally use and pay for back in Blighty.
How to live stream the NFL Draft 2020 and watch online in Canada for free
Canadians have a few options for watching the NFL Draft first round. With an 8pm ET start time just like in the US, ABC will be airing full coverage as will TSN on its TSN 3 channel.
All of which is great if you have cable, but if you don’t then look no further than DAZN, the excellent value sports streaming service that will get you access to full NFL Network draft coverage. It even offers a FREE 30-day trial so you can watch an NFL Draft round 1 live stream without paying a penny.
Anyone from Canada who finds themselves abroad and unable to access their usual streaming service could consider using a VPN to watch whatever it is they normally would from the comfort of their home.
NFL Draft live stream: watch online in Australia for free
Despite a considerable time difference, Aussies needn’t miss out on this year’s NFL Draft action – in fact, the hours are positively sociable, with a start time of 10am AEST on Friday April 24.
In fact, the NFL Draft first round will be shown on free-to-air channel 7mate – but all subsequent rounds can only be found on ESPN.
This means the best value way to watch the NFL Draft in Australia from start to finish is with Kayo Sports. The over-the-top service includes the premium sports channel and even offers a FREE 14-day trial, meaning you can live stream the NFL Draft 2020 and watch not just the first round, but every round, for free.
Pay TV customers will find ESPN included in many Foxtel packages, but for cord-cutters its related streaming-only service, Foxtel Now, may be the way to go.
Any Aussies who find themselves away from home but would normally use a locally-based streaming service to watch the NFL Draft first round can tune in as normal by using a good VPN.
NFL Draft first round – latest news
Virtual though it may be, the 2020 NFL Draft is full of intrigue and mock drafts are all over the place this year.
The Cincinnati Bengals look nailed on to select stud QB Joe Burrow out of LSU with the number one overall pick – but thereafter it’s open season. Chase Young, a freakishly athletic 21-year-old defensive end from Ohio State, is being tipped to go to the Washington Redskins with the number two selection, but the draft always springs surprises and there’s no telling what GMs and head coaches will be thinking tonight. Ryan Leaf, anyone?
One storyline particularly worth following is whether the New England Patriots try to trade up and draft a successor to legendary quarterback Tom Brady – now of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s thought that Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa’s injury concern could see him slip just far enough for the Pats to make a move – or that they could wheel and deal for Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
NFL Draft order – first round
1. Cincinnati
2. Washington
3. Detroit
4. NY Giants
5. Miami
6. LA Chargers
7. Carolina
8. Arizona
9. Jacksonville
10. Cleveland
11. NY Jets
12. Las Vegas
13. San Francisco
14. Tampa Bay
15. Denver
16. Atlanta
17. Dallas
18. Miami
19. Las Vegas
20. Jacksonville
21. Philadelphia
22. Minnesota
23. New England
24. New Orleans
25. Minnesota
26. Miami
27. Seattle
28. Baltimore
29. Tennessee
30. Green Bay
31. San Francisco
32. Kansas City
NFL Draft number 1 picks – a short history
Getting selected with the first pick of the NFL Draft is an honor unlike any other – but it can also be a burden. For every Cam Newton there’s a JaMarcus Russell, and for every Peyton Manning a Tim Couch.
Here’s a look back at the last 35 years of NFL Draft first round picks.
- 2019: Kyler Murray
- 2018: Baker Mayfield
- 2017: Myles Garrett
- 2016: Jared Goff
- 2015: Jameis Winston
- 2014: Jadeveon Clowney
- 2013: Eric Fisher
- 2012: Andrew Luck
- 2011: Cam Newton
- 2010: Sam Bradford
- 2009: Matthew Stafford
- 2008: Jake Long
- 2007: JaMarcus Russell
- 2006: Mario Williams
- 2005: Alex Smith
- 2004: Eli Manning
- 2003: Carson Palmer
- 2002: David Carr
- 2001: Michael Vick
- 2000: Courtney Brown
- 1999: Tim Couch
- 1998: Peyton Manning
- 1997: Orlando Pace
- 1996: Keyshawn Johnson
- 1995: Ki-Jana Carter
- 1994: Dan Wilkinson
- 1993: Drew Bledsoe
- 1992: Steve Emtman
- 1991: Russell Maryland
- 1990: Jeff George
- 1989: Troy Aikman
- 1988: Aundray Bruce
- 1987: Vinny Testaverde
- 1986: Bo Jackson
- 1985: Bruce Smith
