DENVER, Colo. — A blockbuster sports weekend in Denver featuring some of the biggest stars brought in more than $172 million to the local economy, according to a new report from Visit Denver.
From April 17-19, more than 250,000 sports fans flocked to the city to see athletes like Nikola Jokic, Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani.
According to Visit Denver, the weekend also drew in nearly 37,000 overnight visitors. Fans spent money at stadiums, arenas, hotels, restaurants and other attractions.
"I think one of the best parts is we got to see so many people not from Denver come and especially from around the world," said Braden Wormke, a sales associate at apparel shop Sportsfan.
The weekend featured major matchups, including the Colorado Rockies vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, the U.S. Women's National Team taking on Japan, and the Colorado Rapids playing Inter Miami FC.
Chopper's Sports Grill in Cherry Creek saw massive crowds during the events.
"It was on another level," Jonathan Engleberg said.
Engleberg, the general manager, predicts the business boost will continue through the playoff season.
"I just hired more servers and bartenders in anticipation of what we're going to come into in another month and a half," Engleberg said.
And over on 16th Street in downtown Denver, Sportsfan saw the sales.
"We had to bring down all of our Dodgers stuff, get a bunch of MLS stuff ready for it, get Argentina jerseys, everything," Wormke said.
The economic boost did not happen by chance. Denver Sports Commission actively recruits events to the city.
Executive Director Matthew Payne said teams know they can sell out in Denver.
"Every time we have a success story, you know, on the pitch or in the stands with attendance. It just means that we're capable of getting it again, right?" Payne said.
After scoring this massive win, businesses hope it is a sign of what is to come.
"I think if we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to continue to get more and more events," Wormke said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.