2024 NFL Draft attendance record set with more than 700,000 fans attending the event in Detroit

DETROIT — The three-day 2024 NFL Draft event set a new attendance record, with over 700,000 fans flocking to downtown Detroit.

On the final day of the draft, during the selections of the fourth through seventh rounds, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the news at Campus Martius Park on Saturday.

Although it will be years before we can determine if this year’s selections paid off for their teams, it’s undeniable that Detroit capitalized on the chance to welcome hundreds of thousands of fans and display the revamped city to over 50 million viewers.

Motown surpassed Music City’s three-day attendance record of 600,000, set in 2019, as fans crowded Broadway in Nashville.

On Thursday, Detroit attracted a record 275,000 people for the first round, and by the second round, the number had increased to 550,000 fans. These figures broke the Day 1 and 2 attendance records previously set in Nashville five years prior, as part of the league’s ten-year tour across the country.

Despite not charging fans for attending the event in Detroit, the NFL anticipated that the influx of visitors and local residents would generate over $160 million in economic impact. This would be reflected in the full occupancy of hotels, crowded bars and restaurants, and bustling retail stores located downtown.

On Saturday, former Lions running back Billy Sims saw brisk sales of barbecue from his restaurant, which was positioned under a tent on a sidewalk along Woodward Avenue.

“Sims, who was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick by Detroit in 1980, expressed that the fans have been fantastic and the business has been prosperous. He added that hosting the draft in Michigan is beneficial for the whole state,” he said.

The NFL is in discussions with over 20 teams interested in hosting a future draft. This is particularly intriguing for colder-climate cities that are unlikely to secure a Super Bowl bid.

Next year’s draft will be hosted by Green Bay.

Copyright The Associated Press 2024