The 2023 NFL Draft Generated $164.3 Million For Kansas City

The official numbers are in: 312,000 people attended the 2023 NFL Draft, and it generated $164.3 million for Kansas City.

“We are thrilled, and walking the footprint over those three days, you could feel the economic impact,” Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC, exclusively shared. “I’m just so excited for our city.”

According to data compiled by Visit KC, that total economic impact of $164.3 million included $108.8 million created in direct spending and $55.5 million in induced/indirect impact.

Of the direct spending, 60% was produced through accommodations, 18% through food and beverage, 8% through business services, 6% through transportation and about 4% through retail and recreation.

An example of the indirect impact is the local hotels hiring more staff to accommodate the increase in foot traffic. More than 1,200 locals also received payment for working at the draft itself, and that money helped stimulate the local economy.

The 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, Tenn. reportedly holds records for both attendance and economic impact for a host city. That draft was attended by 600,000 people and generated $223.9 million, including $132.8 million in direct spending.

The 2023 NFL Draft — with the money coming from sales tax associated in purchases, ranging from t-shirts to beers to hotel rooms — produced a projected $11.2 million in local taxes and $4.8 million in state taxes.

All in all, the economic impact on Kansas City from April 27 to April 29 matched the city’s expectations of more than $100 million, and the attendance reached the NFL’s prediction of about 300,000.

“What an awesome three-day event,” Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said. “Kansas City should be proud of what they accomplished.”

The 2023 NFL Draft was also the largest to date.

With a footprint of approximately 3.1 million square feet, the 2023 NFL Draft at Kansas City’s National WWI Museum and Memorial and Union Station was the biggest event site in the draft’s 88-year history.

The space had a million more square feet than either of the last two drafts in Cleveland and Las Vegas.

“I like that,” said Houston Texans fan Debbie Kerschen. “It’s a lot to walk around, but in the end, you don’t feel like you’re packed in like a sardine because everything is so spaced out.”

Clad in Texans gear head to toe, including a cowboy hat with a Texans logo, Kerschen, who had attended the drafts in Dallas and Las Vegas, spoke while standing outside the main draft stage.

Near that main stage was an area of high traffic and congestion, but despite the number of people who attended, no security or safety issues were reported.

The only incident involved two jerseys being stolen from Union Station, but those were later recovered at Kansas City International Airport.

That perfect safety record pleasantly surprised Nelson, and it was the aspect of which she was most proud.

The success on the security and logistic fronts bodes well for Kansas City’s next landmark sporting event: the 2026 World Cup. Kansas City is one of the 16 cities hosting the international soccer extravaganza, and Arrowhead Stadium will be the venue.

Considering its positive NFL draft experience, Kansas City could host it again, though it would have to be after the World Cup.

“It was such a great experience for (the NFL). I would not be surprised if we started a conversation in the next five or 10 years of: How does this come back to our city?” Nelson said, laughing. “But we can tell you it’s not coming back before 2026.”