The 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit was a rousing success. More than 750,000 people crowded into downtown Detroit for the three-day event back in late April, a new record since the league started hosting the annual event in various cities starting in 2015.
Those multitudes came with their wallets open. According to data from Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission, the draft event created $213.6 million in revenue for the city and the region. The study, performed by the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis, also determined there is some real lasting impact to the draft windfall, as reported by WXYZ-TV in Detroit,
According to the study, $161.3 million of the $213.6 million represents new spending within the Detroit region from the draft. The Detroit region is defined as Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
It also found that $106.4 million of the $161.3 million in economic impact is being retained long-term, and had a gross impact on local income.
The Lions were very gracious and well-received hosts for the draft event, which spanned April 25-27 in the area around Campus Martius in downtown Detroit.
