Sights, sounds and Steelers fans: On the ground at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh

For one week in April, the Steel City may have been home to more football jerseys per capita than anywhere else in the country. 

Large crowds – mainly clad in black and yellow – packed Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore for the NFL Draft that kicked off on Thursday and ran through Saturday. 

City leaders had been preparing to be the center of the football world for years, deploying public funds to spruce up the streets in hopes of a long-lasting return on investment for the city and its business community. 

State Rep. Dan Frankel, who represents parts of Pittsburgh, told City & State the week of events was an “extraordinary opportunity” for the city and businesses to create a lasting impression on visitors and potential investors. 

“Folks get pleasantly surprised when they have the opportunity to see the amenities and the beauty of our city,” Frankel said. “It’s a confluence of rivers but also a confluence of opportunities” for the city.

History in Heinz’s hometown

Pittsburgh is among several cities that have hosted the NFL Draft in recent years, as the league left New York’s Radio City Music Hall to spread the draft-day love around the league. 

Chicago, Philadelphia, Arlington, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Detroit and Green Bay have all gotten their shot at the football spotlight – each city garnering anywhere from 160,000 to more than 775,000 visitors during the three-day event. 

This isn’t the first time Pittsburgh has hosted the draft, either: In 1947, the city welcomed the draft, more than a decade after the league’s first draft – which took place in 1936 – was established to ensure new teams, like the Steelers at the time, wouldn’t be at too much of a talent disadvantage.  

Fast forward 80 years, and the NFL Draft is an economic beast in itself. 

Economic effects

The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have long viewed the NFL Draft week as not only an opportunity to raise significant cash for businesses and local tax revenues, but as an audition to showcase the city as a destination for visitors and investors. 

Leaders projected the draft would bring in about 500,000 to 700,000 visitors over three days, with roughly $125 million to $200 million in economic activity. 

“With Pittsburgh taking the national stage, the economic impact of this event will be felt across the region,” U.S. Rep. Summer Lee said in a statement. “From small businesses and restaurants to hotels and rideshare drivers, the draft will create meaningful opportunities for our local economy.”

In a conversation with City & State, Visit Pittsburgh President and CEO Jerad Bachar said that while the NFL has its agenda and requirements, the events around the city are set up around the footprint and site within the host city. 

“The draft is not something that just comes out of a box, gets set up, is hosted and then goes back in the box. It is really very much designed for each city, and that’s certainly the case when you think about the last four, from Kansas City to Pittsburgh,” Bachar said. 

Estimates predict that restaurants and hotels will likely make a month’s worth of sales in just three days, and hotel, sales and drink tax revenue could top more than $4 million for Allegheny County as a whole. 

Sasha Machel, owner of Medi’s on Market restaurant, located in the newly renovated Market Square, told City & State she’s “very pleased” with the planning and execution by Visit Pittsburgh and organizers. 

“I would say (the boost in foot traffic) definitely put me forward a couple weeks,” Machel said, adding that a month’s worth of revenue in one weekend may be possible. “It’s been awesomely organized … The crowd in general is very happy and we got pretty steady flow throughout the day.”

Public money poured into Pittsburgh

Public investment soon followed after Pittsburgh was notified it would be hosting the draft. 

Local and state government and Visit Pittsburgh, a publicly funded nonprofit, directed nearly $19 million in public funds toward the draft day festivities. 

The commonwealth contributed $12.8 million, Allegheny County contributed $3 million, Visit Pittsburgh contributed $2 million and the City of Pittsburgh contributed $1.1 million. The agreement between the county, city and tourism organization resulted in Visit Pittsburgh offering the $2 million to match existing funds. 

The state Department of Community and Economic Development’s Marketing to Attract Marquee Events grant program, which supports large-scale events that benefit the state, requires a 50% local match. And those state funds, directed by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, are part of DCED’s efforts to boost investment in Pennsylvania’s star-studded lineup of events in 2026, including the draft, FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game and America 250 celebrations.