By all accounts, hosting the 2024 NFL Draft was wildly successful for the city of Detroit. National media raved over the festivities well beyond the weekend itself and fans of the NFL showed up in record-setting numbers. But there was also a large financial impact from the event and one that will have a positive economic impact on Detroit, its citizens, and surrounding communities.
On Thursday, Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission announced that the NFL Draft generated an impressive $213.6 million in economic impact for the City of Detroit and surrounding regions.
“Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission are thrilled to announce that the record-setting 775,000 people who attended the 2024 NFL Draft generated more than $213 million in total spending for Detroit and Southeast Michigan,” said Claude Molinari, President and CEO of Visit Detroit and Co-Chair of the Detroit Local Organizing Committee for the NFL Draft. “That spending went into the pockets of Detroit businesses and will help strengthen our community for years to come. I am also proud that more than 50 million people watched Detroit shine on national television, which will be critical for Michigan’s long-term population and economic growth.”
The study of the event went on to show that NFL fans from all 50 States and 20+ different countries attended the NFL Draft in Detroit—with a third of the visitors traveling over 100 miles—and accounted for $161.3 million of the overall impact. Of that total, $106.4 million is being allocated to the Detroit community and surrounding regions to create “new income for households, business proprietors, and tax revenues.”
Additionally, the NFL spent $12.1 million on locally-owned minority businesses, and as a result, several have become certified to secure contracts for future large-scale events, such as NBA and NHL All-Star games—both of which have been recently rumored to be interested in Detroit as a destination for future events.
Overall, the 2024 NFL Draft was a historic event that continues to receive positive accolades and hopefully will be a springboard for even more large events to be held in the city of Detroit.