Kansas City Taxpayers Spend Seven Figures for NFL Draft for a Critical $100 Million Impact

The 2023 NFL Draft will take place in Kansas City’s iconic area around Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial, bringing fans from all over the country to celebrate. KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas believes it will be a game changer for the region, with 45 million viewers getting a taste of what the city has to offer in sports, entertainment, culture, and education. However, all of that comes with a cost.

The event, presented by Bud Light, will take place in Kansas City from April 27-29, with the official NFL Draft Red Carpet opening on Thursday, April 27. The NFL Draft Experience is free for all three days, but NFL OnePass registration is required. The NFL is partnering with the Kansas City Sports Commission and the Chiefs to bring the event to life.

The evolution of the NFL Draft and a massive event

Kansas City spent huge money on temporary construction for the NFL Draft, which costs $3 million. This event is ready to attract a huge crowd of 300,000 to 600,000 folks and make around $100 million in economic impact. And get this, all the money for it is coming straight from taxpayers. This trade-off is, well, worth it, considering that the NFL Draft has become a massive event, drawing in 10 million viewers and 300,000 fans. However, the event wasn’t always this huge. In fact, the first draft in 1936 only had 81 players selected, and the first pick turned down the NFL to become a salesman.

The NFL Draft came about when Eagles owner Bert Bell pitched an idea to level the playing field, as the best college players signed with the best teams. The draft looked vastly different back then, with draft picks written on a chalkboard. Everything changed in 1980 when a new all-sports cable network called ESPN asked to broadcast the draft.

READ MORE -?Hours Before NFL Draft, Patrick Mahomes Admirer and Potential 1st Pick Silences Critics? Huge Concerns With a Savage Response

Despite Commissioner Pete Rozelle’s doubts about the appeal of reading names off a list, ESPN persisted and the first televised draft was a small production. But it only got bigger from there, and ESPN has broadcast every NFL Draft since then.

Cities bid to host NFL Draft, similar to Super Bowl

The NFL switched to a touring model in 2014, leaving New York to visit cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville, Cleveland, and Las Vegas. In 2019 alone, over 600,000 people attended the event, and the 2022 draft’s first round drew in 10 million viewers. The production details are also impressive, with a football field-sized stage, 500 semi-trucks of material, 7.5 miles of fence lines, 1.5 miles of concrete barriers, 168 speakers and subwoofers, and 10,000 sq ft of video boards. Additionally, four concerts are held throughout the weekend.

In conclusion, the NFL Draft has transformed into a massive event, with cities bidding and begging to host it, similar to the Super Bowl. The NFL has also turned the draft into a big business and may even leverage it for new stadium deals in the future. Despite its humble beginnings, has become a cultural phenomenon, and it draws in millions of viewers while generating millions of dollars in economic impact.

WATCH THIS STORY – 83-Year-Old NFL Icon, Who Once Worked as a Salesman to Earn $600, Is Now the Nfl?s Second-Richest Athlete, Worth $300 Million.