Detroit shatters NFL Draft attendance record: 'We have the best fans in the world'

On Thursday, Detroit shattered the record for first-night attendance at the NFL Draft. Then it shattered the record for the entire weekend, topping the 2019 draft in Nashville in both cases.

The estimated count was 275,000 for Thursday and more than 700,000 for the weekend, compared to 200,000 and 600,000 in Nashville. And it was almost entirely Lions fans judging by the seas of Honolulu blue.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement Saturday inside the draft theatre in Cadillac Square:

"It has been a historic week here in the great city of Detroit. We have shown the world what the Motor City is all about. And it is my honor to announce that the 2024 NFL Draft has now broken the all-time record: 700,000 and counting!"

Lions GM Brad Holmes said the turnout downtown was just confirmation of what he already knew: "To set the NFL record for attendance for the draft site, I’ve said all along that we have the best fans in the world."

"The anticipation of having the draft here, it just meant so much. We talked about it, just being able to let the world and the NFL world get a taste of what Detroit’s about and what this culture’s about," said Holmes. "Great for our city, great for our franchise. But that’s something to be said. You get 700,00 fans at one draft host city, that’s about as impressive as it gets."