Earlier this year, the Steel City was announced as the host for the 2026 NFL Draft. The scale and draw of this event make it highly sought after by cities, with many local and state governments actively competing for the opportunity to serve as the host city.Following nearly half a century of being held in New York City (1965–2014), the NFL Draft began to be rotated to other cities in 2015. The number of visitors attracted to the host cites and the economic impact of this event have been significant, peaking in the pre-pandemic period when Nashville was host, boasting an attendance of 600,000 people and a total economic impact of $224 million. The Draft was held virtually in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and attendance remained limited in 2021 given the pandemic-related restrictions still in place. Since then, both attendance levels and economic impact have increased each year, with the 2024 event in Detroit setting an all-time total attendance record.
NFL Draft – Historical Attendance and Economic Impact
While the attendance numbers and economic impact data are interesting, my area of expertise is in hotel consulting, hotel market studies, and hotel appraisals, so I want to dive a little deeper into the impact the draft can have on hotel performance. As my colleague Brandon Leversee, who heads up the HVS Detroit office, observed in an interview with Crain’s Detroit Business following this year’s draft in that city, a notable portion of the total attendance usually comprises regional attendees who are not staying overnight and filling hotel rooms.
Nevertheless, according to STR, the data show that RevPAR for that entire week spiked 25.6% when compared to the same week the year prior. The biggest gains were noted on Wednesday and Thursday, with RevPAR levels increasing by 50.0% and 78.9% on those days, respectively, compared to the prior year. Thus, we can reasonably expect a significant increase in Pittsburgh hotel metrics during the 2026 NFL Draft.
I am very much looking forward to seeing the positive impacts the draft will have on the city of Pittsburgh and perhaps take in some of the festivities myself!
For more information about Western Pennsylvania hotel markets or for help making informed investment decisions that align with your goals and risk tolerance, please contact me, Christian Cross, your local HVS Pittsburgh hospitality expert.
* Sources for NFL Draft Data
https://cber.unlv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Sports-Economy-White-Paper_April-2023-FINAL.pdfhttps://medium.com/the-ao/how-the-nfl-draft-generates-200-million-69504b999ae0
https://www.clevelandsports.org/about-us/news/2021/08/17/gcsc-announces-42-million-in-economic-impact-from-2021-nfl-draft-in-northeast-ohio
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2024/01/11/nfl-draft-2024-detroit-economic-impact/72187082007/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffedotin/2023/08/25/the-2023-nfl-draft-generated-1643-million-for-kansas-city/
https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/is-the-nfl-draft-a-touchdown-for-chicagos-economy
https://www.freep.com/story/money/personal-finance/susan-tompor/2024/04/29/detroit-economic-impact-nfl-draft/73496675007/
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/nfl/nfl-draft-detroit-attendance-sets-record/3422546/
https://www.nfl.com/news/2017-draft-exceeds-economic-impact-projections-for-philadelphia-0ap3000000833942
https://www.tennesseetitans.com/news/2019-nfl-draft-generates-a-record-in-direct-spending-in-nashville-of-133-million
https://x.com/FOS/status/1783633867145933120?lang=en
https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/detroit-says-economic-impact-of-nfl-draft-topped-200-million
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