Young athletes’ selection event attracts global spectators and boosts hotel sector; room occupancy rate reaches 92%
The Draft of the NFL The 2024 Detroit Football Championship generated an economic impact of $213.6 million for the city, as revealed by the Detroit Sports Commission on Thursday (July 11, 2024). The figure was calculated by Patrick Rishe, director of the Sports Business Program at Washington University in St. Louis.
The survey considered spending by both visiting fans and local residents in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties during the 3-day event.
“Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission are thrilled to announce that the record 775,000 people who participated in the 2024 NFL Draft generated more than $213 million in total spending for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. This spending went straight 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 to Michigan’s long-term population and economic growth.” said Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit and co-chair of the Detroit Local Organizing Committee (DLOC).
The study detailed that $161.3 million of the revenue came from visitors traveling to southeast Michigan, with more than 60 percent of that amount staying in the Detroit area. Additionally, more than $12 million went to minority-owned businesses.
Hotel occupancy in Detroit reached impressive levels during the event, with occupancy rates ranging from 84% to 92% on draft day. More than 30% of attendees were from out of town, including visitors from all 50 U.S. states and 20 countries, with some traveling from as far away as Australia.
“Today’s report detailing the economic benefits of the 2024 NFL Draft to our local community reaffirms the decision by Visit Detroit, the Detroit Sports Commission, the Detroit Lions and the City of Detroit to bid for and host this prestigious NFL event. This achievement represents the fulfillment of our mission to generate economic impact for the region and promote the area as a premier destination for leisure travel and sporting events,” said Dave Beachnau, executive director of the Detroit Sports Commission.
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