NFL Combine 2013 Draws Huge Ratings for the NFL Network

If the football season was supposed to end with the Super Bowl, no one decided to tell NFL fans. 

The 2013 NFL Combine drew a record 7.25 million fans for the NFL Network. The rating topped last year's previous best of 6.51 million viewers. Three of the four days of on-field workouts saw an increase over last year. The only exception being Sunday when quarterbacks showed their skills. The lack of marquee prospects highlighted by last year's Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III contributed to the decreased interest and lower ratings. In addition, USC's highly touted QB Matt Barkley decided to skip the Combine, opting instead to showcase his talents during the school's Pro day.

The NFL Combine has been said by some to be seen as becoming the popular sport's most high profile foray into reality TV. With an estimated 30 members of the press there to cover it, the exhibition produced headlines that sparked debate even outside the normal realm of sports, chief among them circling around Manti Te'o. 

The Notre Dame star and Heisman candidate had performed dismally in the the teams BCS Championship loss against Alabama. See Te'o's 40 yard dash (below).  Soon after, a startling revelation was made that his well-publicized relationship was in fact an online hoax, perpetrated by a male friend. Media scrutiny about his character and his sexuality dominated the headlines, something which the NFL Network did not shy away from.

Teo's performance in the Combine, particularly his 4.82 seconds time in the 40-yard dash perpetuated the belief that he couldn't compete with the physical and mental rigors of the NFL. However, accusations that NFL executives questioned players about their sexuality became the top story, prompting a legal investigation. Yes, sex sells...even at the NFL combine, and they now have the ratings to prove it. 

Mark Quenzel, senior vice-president of the NFL Network was asked if there was a way to attract even more higher ratings. "The more people who feel they can understand it, the more people will watch it," Quenzel said. "The challenge for us is to distill the mountain of numbers that come out of the event. We tell all our people that the one job they have on the air is give those numbers context."