Detroit Breaks All-Time NFL Draft Attendance Record With 700,000 Fans
April 30, 2024
The New York Times
April 27, 2024
Nick Baumgardner and Alex Andrejev
Motor City has shattered a record. Detroit set a new all-time attendance mark for the NFL Draft with 700,000 fans and counting, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Saturday.
Detroit broke the record previously set in 2019 by Nashville, which drew 600,000 fans over the three-day event.
NFL chief football administration officer Dawn Aponte announced in her opening remarks earlier Saturday that 550,000 fans had attended through the first two days. Detroit previously broke Nashville’s record of 200,000 fans each day for Day 1 and Day 2 draft attendance. Commissioner Roger Goodell said a record 275,000 fans turned up Thursday for Day 1 and another 230,000 were in attendance Friday night.
NFL chief football administration officer Dawn Aponte announced in her opening remarks earlier Saturday that 550,000 fans had attended through the first two days. Detroit previously broke Nashville’s record of 200,000 fans each day for Day 1 and Day 2 draft attendance. Commissioner Roger Goodell said a record 275,000 fans turned up Thursday for Day 1 and another 230,000 were in attendance Friday night.
“So Detroit, you’re within 100,000 of breaking the all-time record,” he said at the time.
Rounds 4-7 are underway Saturday, televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
What this means for Detroit
It’s been almost 20 years since Detroit got to show the world it’s a football town, inside a football state. Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL in 2006, about four years after Ford Field opened as downtown’s newest centerpiece. The city turned out for that one, just like it does for everything football-related.
So while it was no surprise to see the city set a record this weekend during the NFL Draft, the fact Detroit got to show America how much growth and progress has happened in that time is probably the coolest part. Not only was the crowd massive, but the city looked terrific. Downtown was clean, a ton of money flowed through the streets and the event gave one of the country’s toughest and proudest cities a chance to shine. The Lions actually being good didn’t hurt things.
It was an amazing weekend in the Motor City.