The Economic and Cultural Transformation of the NFL Draft
Dr. Joshua S. Greer | NILvana Sports
Abstract
This case study examines the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the smallest market in league history to host the event. Drawing approximately 600,000 attendees, the NFL generated over $100 million in economic activity. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between market size and economic impact (r = .81) and a moderate correlation with attendance (r = .67). Multiple regression (R² = .798) identified market size as a stronger predictor of economic success than attendance. Findings suggest that infrastructure capacity embedded within market classifications plays a critical role in shaping outcomes, offering a refined framework for evaluating small-market viability in sport mega-event strategy.
Introduction and Background
Once a closed-door administrative procedure, the NFL Draft has evolved into a multi-day sport mega-event blending fan engagement, tourism, and urban promotion. Large markets like Detroit (2024) have leveraged infrastructure scale to generate over $213 million in economic impact, while small markets such as Green Bay (2025) demonstrate the event’s potential for community-based economic activation.
Methods
Data were collected from six in-person NFL Draft events between 2019 and 2025. Variables included attendance, estimated economic impact, and market classification (small, medium, large). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression assessed relationships between market size, attendance, and economic outcomes. Market size was dummy coded, with small markets as the reference category.
Results
Market size exhibited the strongest correlation with economic impact (r = .81), surpassing attendance (r = .67). Regression analysis confirmed market size as a more influential predictor (β = 39.97, p = .105) than attendance (β = 0.0001, p = .248). While the sample size limited statistical significance, the model explained nearly 80% of the variance in economic outcomes.
Discussion
Economic success is shaped less by crowd volume than host city infrastructure and market capacity. Large markets benefit from scale, while small markets leverage tradition, community identity, and fan loyalty to produce meaningful returns. However, hosting entails risks, including weather disruptions, public safety demands, and infrastructure strain, requiring robust planning and risk mitigation.
Conclusion
The NFL Draft has matured into a hybrid cultural and economic engine for host cities of all sizes. Infrastructure readiness, market classification, and strategic planning are critical to maximizing benefits. For small markets, leveraging cultural capital and fan engagement can offset scale limitations, positioning them as viable hosts within the league’s rotating mega-event strategy.
Keywords: NFL Draft, sport mega-event, economic impact, market size, tourism strategy
