Steelers-Ravens Game To Pump $19M In Local Economy

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This weekend's playoff game between the Steelers and Ravens comes on the heels of the Winter Classic.

All of that has added up to a pretty good January for local businesses.

From the street vendor to the hotel manager, they can't wait for the crowds and there's been a trickle-down effect from Pittsburgh's pro-team success.

"Everyone comes down, stops sees something that they don't have or they need," Simon Pongracz, a vendor, said. "Especially with the holidays too a lot of business has been coming around, but definitely nice to see people coming out and stuff."

At McFadden's restaurant on the North Shore, they're taking stock of inventory for in-town and out-of-town fans who will fill hotels, bars and restaurants.

"It will be a big weekend for us," Patrick Simbeck said. "What we've been doing is just getting the place ready, getting all the entertainment in the building as well as making sure we're staffed properly for the immense amount of people that are going to be on the North Shore because this weekend it is a destination area."

According to Visit Pittsburgh, the AFC playoff game will pump just over $19 million into the local economy.

The Winter Classic generated about $23 million.

By the time January ends, they both could collectively generate $40 million to $45 million.