NFL Draft in Pittsburgh sets onsite attendance record, third-best viewership mark

The 2026 NFL Draft held in Pittsburgh set an all-time attendance record for the opening round, with approximately 320,000 fans attending outside Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night and around 805,000 people attending across the full three-day event. The first round drew approximately 13.2 million viewers, making it the third-most watched opening round since the current format began in 2010, behind only the 2025 and 2020 drafts. The league also reported record merchandise sales over the draft weekend, though no specific figures were provided.