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A new study by an economist has found that this spring’s NFL draft generated about $214 million in economic impact for the city of Detroit and the metro region.
The April 25-27 event drew more than 775,000 people inside the draft’s downtown Detroit footprint, which set a new attendance record for an NFL draft.
The new study, developed by economist Patrick Rishe, director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis, analyzed spending levels by visitors and local residents, as well as the NFL organization, according to a news release issued Thursday by Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission.
The study found that $161 million of the total $214 million in economic impact could be categorized as new spending within metro Detroit created by the presence of the 2024 NFL draft.
It also found that 30% of all draft attendees traveled more than 100 miles to attend, and that hotel occupancy in Detroit was at or near capacity. The tax impact from all of that visitor spending was about $12 million, the study found.
For the previous year’s NFL draft in Kansas City, which drew 312,000 people, there reportedly was $164 million in total economic impact.
More: Downtown Detroit businesses within blocks of each other have vastly different NFL draft experiences
Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @JCReindl