KANSAS CITY TO HOST 2023 NFL DRAFT Draft Celebrations and Free Fan Festival to take place Downtown
KANSAS CITY, MO (May 22, 2019) The NFL has announced that Kansas City has been selected to host the 2023 NFL Draft. The announcement was made today at the annual Spring League Meeting in Key Biscayne, FL following a review of the proposal by the Super Bowl & Major Events Advisory Committee and full ownership.
The 2023 NFL Draft will take place in Kansas City in the iconic area around Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial and will bring together fans to celebrate one of the most-anticipated sports events of the year.
In celebration of this announcement, buildings and landmarks within the Kansas City skyline will be decorated in red light tonight. A local press conference will be held on Thursday, May 23 at 8:30am at Harvey's in the Grand Hall at Union Station. Representatives from the City of Kansas City, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Sports Commission will be available to answer question.
"We are excited to work with the Kansas City Chiefs, the City of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Sports Commission to showcase the area for a week-long celebration of football that will be watched by millions of fans,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We know Chiefs fans will come out to celebrate along with thousands of fans from teams around the country for an incredible experience as we welcome the next generation of NFL players.”
As part of the event, the NFL Draft Experience – a massive free football festival – will allow fans of all teams to participate and test their football skills, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Draft Experience will be open all three days of the event.
“This is a historic day for Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom, and we are thrilled to be named the host city for the 2023 NFL Draft,” says Clark Hunt, Chairman & CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. “Today’s announcement would not have been possible without the tireless work of Kathy Nelson, the Kansas City Sports Commission and the Kansas City civic community. It was a tremendous team effort, and we look forward to continuing to work together to showcase Kansas City on the national stage in 2023. Chiefs Kingdom is home to the most passionate fans in the world, and I know they will make Kansas City proud as the host of one of the NFL’s premiere events.”
“Kansas City and Chiefs Kingdom are thrilled to have been selected by the NFL to host this prestigious event,” says Kathy Nelson, President & CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission. “Hometown pride runs deep in the Midwest. We are excited to show the world our unparalleled passion for sports - especially our passion for professional football. Fans from every corner of the country should look forward to experiencing Kansas City’s hospitality, our vibrant food scene, innovative neighborhoods, historic attractions and a whole lot of fun in 2023. Thank you to our city leaders, our community partners and the Kansas City Chiefs for the collaborative effort in attracting the NFL Draft to our region.”
The NFL Draft has become one of the biggest and most-anticipated sporting events of the year. The 2019 Draft reached new heights and record numbers as the highest-rated and most-watched Draft ever, eclipsing previous records set in 2018. The 2019 Draft was broadcast over three days and attracted more than 47.5 million total viewers and over 600,000 in attendance. The NFL Draft achieved a combined 3.9 HH rating and average of 6.1 million viewers across the broadest distribution including NFL Network, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as NFL and ESPN digital and social properties.
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