The 2019 NFL Draft was a massive payday for Nashville

The 2019 NFL draft shattered records in almost every major category, ranging from television ratings to actual attendance in Nashville over the three-day event, but there was an even bigger benefit for the host city.

A record $133 million in direct spending was generated by the 2019 NFL Draft, according to NFL and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

That’s big money, and it’s a big reason why cities are lining up to play host in the future.

The NFL announced Thursday that the 2021 NFL Draft will be held in Cleveland, and 2023 will take place in Kansas City.

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There was no destination announced for the 2022 draft. Next year’s draft will be in Las Vegas.

New York City hosted the Draft for 50 straight years before a conflict forced the league to look elsewhere in 2015. Chicago stepped up and did a fantastic job. They hosted again in 2016, only to be topped by Philadelphia when the NFL once again changed venues in 2017. And that’s when the league officially realized they have another money-making machine on their hands.

Dallas hosted in 2018 and turned the Draft into football’s equivalent of Disney World, and Nashville did the unthinkable in 2019 by topping all of their predecessors.

And just think: Las Vegas is on deck.

With the Raiders’ time in Oakland winding down and their move to Vegas coming sooner than later, generating some NFL buzz in the city is a smart strategy by the league office. Plus, there’s no better destination for NFL fans to maximize a three-day weekend to celebrate football than Sin City.

The NFL truly is king.

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