With the 2025 NFL Draft being held in a smaller location like Green Bay, Wisconsin, smaller crowds than usual were expected. But fans from around the league descended on Lambeau Field and the surrounding area during the festivities, and the number of attendees was twice the population of Green Bay itself.
NFL Draft In Green Bay Deemed A Success
The number accounts for just the first night of festivities. Things got kicked off on Thursday evening, just outside of Lambeau Field. Crowds had trickled in starting early in the morning, and the area filled up quickly as the main event approached. It ended up being an impressive showing for the town with a population of just over 100,000, and the entire weekend has so far been deemed a success.
The NFL has announced that an estimated 205,000 people attended the first round of the Draft. It is without a doubt the largest attendance number for a sporting event ever in Green Bay.
The first round of the NFL Draft averaged 13.6 million viewers—the second most-watched opening day of the event ever.
The NFL also welcomed about 205,000 fans to watch the draft live in Green Bay.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 26, 2025
Last year’s version of the event broke records for attendance. The 2024 NFL Draft was held in Detroit, Michigan, with over 700,000 people getting in on the action. That number reflects the attendees for all three days, though. So while Green Bay almost certainly won’t come close to those numbers for the totality of the weekend, the number of 205,000 is likely to grow.
There was also a massive audience tuning in from home. According to the numbers that were released on Friday, the first round had a viewership number of 13.6 million, making it the second-most watched Day 1 in the history of the event. The top spot still belongs to the 2020 first round, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and was held virtually.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There have been no decisions made beyond that, but it is assumed that Buffalo, New York could be on the horizon given their construction of a new stadium and facilities.
