Every time a big event comes to our area we're told it's good for whatever community is hosting the event, or good for the State of Missouri. In the case of the NFL Draft which was held this past April in Kansas City, the event was a Blockbuster success for the City.

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It was successful from an economic standpoint, and a visibility standpoint for the City. While also a success for those Kansas Citians involved in making the draft happen, or serving those who came to Kansas City for the draft. This is according to information provided in a press release by the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation.

Economic Impact

First, let's take a look at the economic impact. The event generated $164.3 million dollars, including $108.8 million spent directly, and another $55.5 million dollars spent indirectly. 60 percent came from accommodations, 18 percent from food and beverage, 8 percent from business services, and 4 percent from retail and recreation.

Kansas City spent $3 million dollars from the Convention and Tourism Fund, and additional funding came from corporate partnerships from the Kansas City Sports Commission. Kansas City collected $11.2 million dollars in taxes and Missouri $4.8 million dollars in taxes in relation to the draft.

Television Impact

The NFL Draft in Kansas City had the highest rating for the draft of any city since hosting the draft became a thing. 54.4 million viewers were exposed to the NFL Draft in Kansas City, with Union Station and the World War 1 Memorial and Museum serving as the primary backdrop. Online the event generated 875 million impressions, 39 million engagements, and 230 million video views on the NFL's social platforms.

Spotlight on Kansas City

Kansas City was a big talking point during conversations about the NFL Draft between April 27, 2023 - April 30, 2023. The City was mentioned 34, 470 times across different media outlets, reaching a whopping audience of 43,482,654,662 and a value of nearly $667 million dollars.

The Kansas City Community

The NFL Draft had 1,200 Kansas Citians working to make the event a reality. Additionally, the NFL's Business Connect Program featured minority and women-owned businesses, contributing to half of the 25 on-site food vendors. These vendors generated over a million dollars in sales, with all profits remaining with the vendors.

The Kansas City Chiefs also took center stage at the NFL Draft with their Chiefs Kingdom Experience, a groundbreaking experience that lets football fans explore the history of the franchise and its legacy through hands-on, interactive displays. As well as player appearances and special programming.

The Takeaway

The bottom line, the NFL Draft was great for Kansas City providing positive financial results for Kansas City, and to a certain extent the State of Missouri. Additionally, Kansas City was exposed in a positive light both here in the United States and across the world.

Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt expressed pride in Kansas City's performance and plans to continue to bring world-class events to the City, showcasing it's welcoming and friendly nature.

In short, the NFL Draft was a blockbuster for Kansas City.