Understanding the Impact

The market research and economic impact study for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh was conducted by Sportsimpacts. Founded in 2020 and author of over 100 studies, this marks the third consecutive year the company has conducted the economic impact study for the NFL Draft, following their previous work for the 2024 event in Detroit and the 2025 event in Green Bay.

The Sportsimpacts methodology is structured around a two-step framework.

• Step #1: Estimate gross direct spending by non-local sources (including onsite surveys from event attendees, event participants and companies/vendors.
• Step #2: Input the gross direct spending estimates from Step 1 into the proprietary IMPLAN model for the Pittsburgh MSA, which then produces estimates of gross total spending, gross direct and total income and gross direct and total tax revenue generated.

Gross direct spending is comprised of three components:

• In-market spending by non-local attendees (i.e. fans attending the NFL Draft)
• In-market spending by non-local event participants (i.e. staff/employees of non-local companies/vendors involved with the NFL Draft)
• In-market spending on operational and logistical aspects of the event by non-local organizations (i.e. spending on the NFL and ESPN on event production, setup, etc.)

IMPLAN is one of the leading economic software companies globally and is used by industry practitioners, researchers, analysts and academicians worldwide in the examination of economic impact and fiscal impacts.

One of IMPLAN’s primary resources/tools is the spending and income multiplier data for hundreds of metropolitan areas and countries across the United States. The IMPLAN data contains industry-specific spending and income multipliers which track:

1. New money injected into the local economy by non-local people and companies gets re-spent locally by local businesses and local residents
2. How much of this spending activity is retained in-market as new local income for local residents, local businesses, or new tax revenue

Per Sportsimpact, there are three primary reasons why the financial impact on the host market was greater for the 2026 NFL Draft than the preceding two Drafts:

• First, Pittsburgh’s central (and drivable) proximity to at least seven other NFL markets within 400 miles of Pittsburgh – three of which being among the nation’s top 9 markets by population size – made it easier for a larger number of visiting football fans to travel to the 2026 NFL Draft.
• Second, Pittsburgh is widely recognized as among the top 5 NFL brands in the sport (per league merchandise sales) and being a true ‘football-centric’ city…thereby making Pittsburgh an attractive football destination visitors wanted to experience.
• Third, Pittsburgh as a host city offered visitors a nice blend of (a) being large enough that there were plenty of lodging, restaurant, and entertainment options located within walking distance of the NFL Draft’s physical footprint within the city, and (b) being small enough that visitors did not feel overwhelmed with concerns about congestion, wayfinding, local transportation, safety, or other factors which impact a visitor’s local experience.

The findings within the 2026 NFL Draft Impression Report are underpinned by Trajektory’s proprietary, multi-faceted valuation methodology, which ensures a transparent and accurate measurement of media and economic value across all platforms.

This integrity-driven approach combines AI-powered brand detection, market-specific benchmarks, and verified viewership data to comprehensively evaluate broadcast, in-venue, and social media exposure. Specifically, the analysis leverages Xperi viewership data and program advertising rates for broadcast valuation, utilizes custom algorithms accounting for fan attendance and signage placement for in-venue assets, and applies a proprietary scoring system across major social channels to measure digital engagement.

By integrating high-quality data across these diverse streams, Trajektory delivers a complete, apples-to-apples view of the true media value and economic impact generated by the 2026 NFL Draft.

Trajektory measured, analyzed, and valued the full media ecosystem surrounding the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh across five data streams:

• Public Relations – Analyzed share of voice across TV, radio, online + print and podcasts
• Owned Social – Analyzed post quantity, total impressions and total media value for VisitPITTSBURGH and the Steelers
• Earned Social – Analyzed and ranked the top-earning social media outlets
• Broadcast – Analyzed broadcast results for 2026 Draft Week
• In-Venue – Analyzed in-person results based on attendance data

While the terms are often used interchangeably, economic impact and economic value measure different things.

Economic impact refers to the new spending brought into a region by visitors who traveled specifically for an event. It measures the direct dollars injected into the local economy through hotels, restaurants, transportation, retail, entertainment and other visitor expenditures. This is the standard metric used to quantify the economic benefits of tourism and major events.

Economic value is a broader concept that can include additional forms of spending and benefits beyond visitor expenditures—including media exposure, earned advertising value, destination awareness and long-term community benefits.