Detroit Sets New Record with 700,000 Fans at NFL Draft

Crowds fill an area outside of the draft stage during the second round of the NFL football draft, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The record on record in Detroit: The first Super Bowl, and now the first in the NFL draft attendance record.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced just before the Detroit Lions made their fourth-round pick Saturday that the 2024 NFL Draft has broken a record with an attendance of over 700,000.

The Nashville NFL Draft exceeded 600,000 in 2019. The record was set in three days, but Detroit broke it across four.

By the end of the first day, Detroit had 550,000 visitors. More than 275,000 on the first day set Day 1 records. The last time Detroit hosted an event of this scale was the 2006 Super Bowl XL.

Singer Eminem appeared alongside Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, former players Calvin Johnson, Barry Sanders, quarterback Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, and Goodell in downtown Detroit, where the draft took place.