The final economic impact report of the 2025 NFL Draft was released Wednesday, July 16, by Experience Greater Green Bay. The tourism research and education nonprofit engaged industry leader Sportsimpacts to conduct the study.
The event, held April 24-26, 2025, in and around Lambeau Field and the Titletown campus, far exceeded projections. Attendance shattered expectations, driving total economic impact in Brown County to $79,917,186—more than $50 million over the original $20 million projection. Statewide, the total economic impact reached $104,789,486, surpassing the initial $94 million estimate by over $10 million.
"The event put Green Bay on the international stage for three straight days," said Brad Toll, President and CEO of Discover Green Bay. "So many people and organizations across our great community made this happen, and we thank everyone for coming together to showcase Green Bay on the national stage."
The 2025 NFL Draft Local Organizing Committee—comprised of team members from the Green Bay Packers, PMI Entertainment Group, and Discover Green Bay—stated the event exceeded expectations both in economic impact and operational execution.
"We were so proud of the incredible atmosphere created during the NFL Draft in Green Bay," said Gabrielle Dow, Packers vice president of marketing and fan engagement. "We worked hand-in-hand with so many local organizations and supporters during the planning process, and it was fantastic to see it all come together to result in such a positive experience for fans and visitors. Our partners at the NFL couldn't have been happier with how the entire event unfolded."
While economic impact was the primary focus of the study, research also revealed Green Bay and Lambeau Field excelled as a host city and venue. Over 82% of survey respondents rated Green Bay as an "Excellent" host city, while more than 70% rated Lambeau Field/Titletown as an "Excellent" host venue. Among attendees who had been to previous NFL Drafts, 82% said this was "the best draft they have attended."
"With Packers fans all over the world, we knew that hosting the NFL Draft in Green Bay would have a meaningful impact both locally and throughout the state of Wisconsin," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "We know how special our community is, and we were proud to share its uniqueness with fans visiting for the Draft. While we're pleased with the economic impact, the broader community impacts from the Draft will also leave a lasting legacy."
The estimated unique attendance to the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay was 362,588, according to Sportsimpacts' research. Last month, the City of Green Bay released a projected number of over 312,000 unique attendees using the software platform placr.ai. Attendees also left with improved perceptions of the region. More than 83% of survey respondents said Greater Green Bay either "greatly surpassed expectations" or was "better than expected."
"Each and every event we bring into Green Bay exposes our region to new audiences, both in-person and through media," added Toll. "This was a larger stage than most, and we're thrilled visitors had a great experience that will bring them back and inspire them to encourage friends and family to visit. The long-term benefits of this success will be felt for years to come."
The impact extended far beyond the immediate economic boost. According to Muck Rack, a leading media monitoring platform, the terms "Discover Green Bay" and "NFL Draft" appeared in 776 news articles nationwide, with an average reach of 6.1 million potential viewers per article. For Discover Green Bay, equivalent paid advertising would have cost nearly $50 million.
"The power of NFL media exposure is real, and it's transforming perceptions of our destination," said Nick Meisner, VP of Marketing for Discover Green Bay. "This type of visibility will have a lasting impact on Brown County's tourism industry."
Discover Green Bay also utilized Zartico, a leading data analytics platform, to analyze visitor behavior through cellphone and credit card tracking. Findings showed:
- Change in overall spend was up 145% and up 20% in key tourism categories.
- 20% of Draft visitors were also viewed at restaurants and 13% visited bars or breweries.
- Top non-accommodation points of interest included Kroll's West, Hinterland Brewery, Stadium View Bar, and Anduzzi's.
Accommodations flourished during the Draft, with Smith Travel Research (STR) reporting a record Average Daily Rate (ADR) of $420 on Thursday and an occupancy increase of over 25%, reaching 88% occupancy.
The Sportsimpacts study also revealed:
- 31% of attendees were from outside Wisconsin.
- 24% paid for overnight lodging (with 29% staying in Brown County and 21% in Outagamie County).
- More than 83% of out-of-state visitors were first-time Green Bay travelers.
- Over 50% of attendees were either Brown County residents or day-commuters.
- This event had the largest percentage of non-local visitors staying with local family or friends (21.4%) in Sportsimpacts' 25 years of consulting-highlighting the regional draw and "homecoming" effect for Packers fans.
- Top Suggestions from Attendees:
- Lower food and beverage prices
- Improved crowd flow and reduced wait times
- Expanded food and beverage options
- Additional restroom facilities
- Transportation data showed 85% of attendees drove to Green Bay, while nearly 14% flew, with others arriving via charter bus or train.
