OK, the 2026 NFL Draft was a week ago. It’s time to ask the big question.
Was it worth it?
That depends on two things: perspective and expectation.
According to the NFL, the Pittsburgh draft was the most well-attended in history. It dwarfed the drafts in Las Vegas, Green Bay and Detroit. People turned out in droves to celebrate their teams’ selections in a three-day riverfront revel. The first day broke opening records with 320,000 people. The 805,000 total smashed event-long numbers.
There’s no doubt the draft was a success from the NFL’s standpoint — or for fans. Social media posts and videos from attendees have been hugely enthusiastic.
That means it’s time to look at the numbers — the money, that is.
Between $2 million in overtime for police and public safety and another $1 million given to Visit Pittsburgh in October 2024, the city alone ponied up $3 million. That doesn’t count money invested by the state in things like refurbishing Point State Park. It doesn’t count other contributions to Visit Pittsburgh in advance of the event, including $3 million from Allegheny County and $5 million from local businesses.
The city is getting $2 million of its outlay back from the state, meaning it may only be about $1 million in the red. But is that a loss?
A Super Bowl LX commercial in February cost about $8 million for 30 seconds. Pittsburgh got three days of nonstop spotlight for a fraction of that. It’s hard to call that a bad deal if the purpose was promotion.
But if the city — or the taxpayers — expected a fundraiser, that expectation was misplaced.
The city will get a piece of the tourism pie through taxes from businesses such as hotels that benefited.
Restaurants and parking garages that expected a windfall, on the other hand, didn’t see increased traffic. In fact, many saw less activity than normal because tourists stayed at the draft campus and locals did what they were told and avoided the city if they weren’t attending.
This may not have been the kind of economic boon Pittsburgh experienced during the two-day Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts in 2023. Those generated $46 million in local spending. That also doesn’t mean it won’t have a net positive.
The value is in the long-term investment in showing the city’s beauty, flavor and culture to not just the hundreds of thousands who attended but also everyone who watched on television and the internet. Maybe restaurants weren’t busy this weekend, but there could be football fans who come back when the Falcons, Broncos or Colts play in Pittsburgh in the coming season.
So was it worth it? Maybe. Maybe not. That all depends on what was expected — and how long anyone is willing to wait to see the return.
