DETROIT — 275,000 fans packed the area around Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit for night one of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Atlanta Voice was there for the record-breaking moment and more.
By 6:30 PM, the crowd rivaled the scene in Nashville from 2019. More than 200,000 people crowded Broadway for the NFL Draft on night one. It was the last draft held before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I heard there’s close to 150,000 (people) already outside, waiting to get in,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
At the end of Day Two of the NFL Draft, Goodell said that 230,000 people are there for night two. Plus, that Detroit is only 100,000 people away from breaking the all-time NFL Draft attendance record. Nashville drew 600,000 fans over the three days of the NFL draft in 2019.
It was also a great night in the television ratings department. The NFL reported Round 1 coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft was seen by audience of 12.1 million people. The number combines viewers on linear and streaming platforms. The event was broadcast on ESPN, NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN Deportes. Ratings are up 6% compared to Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft (11.4 million). It was the highest Round 1 viewership since 2021.
By the middle of Day Three, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the draft attracted more than 700,000 football fans to downtown Detroit.
Detroit is bouncing back
It was an opportunity that Detroit and the state of Michigan could not pass up. The last time Detroit hosted an event of this magnitude was Super Bowl XL in 2006. Visit Detroit VP Claude Molinari estimated Wednesday the economic impacts in the Motor City could be north of 175 million to $200 million during the weekend.
Friday, Goodell admitted on The Pat McAfee Show there are cities seeking to host the NFL’s springtime football festival. However, Michiganders knew this was the opportunity to show up and let America know Detroit is a proud city and is making a comeback.
“I think the exciting thing about hosting the NFL, and the Lions in particular, is they really are emblematic of who we are. We’ve been knocked down, but we get back up,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said. “And we get back up stronger than ever.”
Next year, the NFL draft will move to Green Bay. Initial expectations are attendance will rival what was seen in Nashville and Detroit, respectively.
