EXCLUSIVE: Kansas expected to make more than $100 million with NFL Draft
27 April 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNW) — Kansas City’s highly-anticipated NFL Draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m. in front of historic Union Station. The process to bring the draft to KC began eight years ago.
Kansas City presented its first bid to host the NFL Draft in 2015. The KC consortium tried again in 2017. Two years later, the NFL announced Kansas City would host the 2023 NFL Draft. The third time was the charm.
A delegation led by Kathy Nelson, the President and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and VisitKC, and Chiefs President Mark Donovan traveled to New York City in 2019 and laid out Kansas City’s plans to host an NFL Draft. When Kathy asked the audience how many of them had ever been to KC, only a few raised their hands.
“Oh, dear. We have our work cut out for us,” said Nelson. “You know, Mayor James back in the day would say people used to think we’re flyover country. And now, this is like a signature statement and don’t miss Kansas City. And knowing maybe it took that time in New York to prove that we could pull something like this off to outsiders was the first step in now proving to millions of outsiders who will watch the draft from across the world that Kansas City’s the place to be.”
Nelson says the recent success of the Chiefs and Chiefs Kingdom helped close the deal.
“I think the legacy of the Hunt family. The legacy of Arrowhead. The impact of the Chiefs certainly helped. The impact of Chiefs fans is not to be understated. The impact of television ratings on game day. The NFL knows Kansas City shows up,” said Nelson.
Of the seven cities that have been awarded the NFL Draft in recent years, Kansas City is the smallest market to be chosen to host.
“I know we hit above our weight class all the time, and I appreciate that. I don’t feel like we’re small compared to those cities. When you look at the things we win or win out over, we won the World Cup. Nashville didn’t win. Denver didn’t win,” explained Nelson. “I don’t feel small compared to them. Granted, maybe market size on paper, maybe, but I don’t think our community feels like it’s small. We’re maybe the biggest small city in America.”
The draft is expected to be the largest event Kansas City has ever hosted, with an estimated 300,000 visitors on the ground and another 15 million expected to tune in on four national TV networks. When it’s over, it will be the end of an eight-year chapter in Nelson’s career. So, how will she feel?
“I think a lot of pride, you know. A lot of pride for this city. This is where I was born and raised. My family grew up here. My extended family’s here. So, I think a lot of pride knowing we’ve been showcased on a global stage now,” said Nelson.