Pittsburgh sets NFL draft attendance record during 2026 first round

PITTSBURGH — An anticipated 500,000-700,000 fans were expected to attend this year’s festivities ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

Just one day into the draft, the city smashed the Round 1 attendance record, per NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Before the final pick of the first round was made by the Seattle Seahawks, Goodell announced that an estimated record 320,000 fans attended the draft on April 23.

The previous record was held by Detroit in 2024, drawing 275,000 fans per an NFL.com article published by the Associated Press.

This year, fans have a wide variety of ways to view the festivities, from the draft theater, both outside and inside Acrisure Stadium and across the river at Point State Park.

At one point during the opening round, there was signage outside the draft theater entrance stating that it had reached full capacity and that fans were directed to watch inside Acrisure Stadium, where they could view the draft from on the field or in the stands.

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In comparison, the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay saw an estimated 205,000 fans on the first day. Overall, 600,000 fans attended last year’s draft.

With strong attendance numbers and favorable weather during Round 1, Pittsburgh has a chance to surpass the attendance record for the three-day event set by Detroit when it saw more than 700,000 fans attend.

Ethan Morrison is the sports reporter for the Beaver County Times. Follow him at EthanMorrison26 on X, formerly Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: