Pro Bowl coming to Orlando, official announcement expected Wednesday

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Pro Bowl is coming to Orlando.

Alongside mayors Theresa Jacobs and Buddy Dyer, representatives from the NFL, Disney and ESPN were expected to come together at Camping World Stadium Wednesday to make it official.

Tourism officials voted to spend $3 million to make a bid to host the 2017 Pro Bowl, going up against venues in Hawaii, Texas, Australia and more.

Tourism officials were selling the city as much as they were the newly-renovated Camping World Stadium, Steve Hogan, with Citrus Sports, said.

“The country is taking notice,” he said. “Now you host the Pro Bowl? I think it removes any question anyone might have about doing business in this community.

“That’s what I think it means for us.”

Hogan expects to see a sellout crowd at the 2017 Pro Bowl, which would pump an estimated $40 million into the local economy.

That would more than make up for the $3 million spent to woo the NFL, he said.

The announcement is expected to be made during a 2:45 p.m. press conference Wednesday.

Cox Media Group